


BOOKS OF HISTORY

by Lady_Nicola_1977



Category: Linkin Park
Genre: Desperation, F/M, Sadness, Seriousness, happiness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:27:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 62
Words: 318,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25658953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Nicola_1977/pseuds/Lady_Nicola_1977
Summary: She lost some kind of social trust, covered with blackness and loneliness led the life of a teenager who was not going to threaten anything. And yet!There was a day when one scrap of paper, which reminded her of a painful past, drew her closer to the discovery of the mystery that touched her.Julia Bennington is a girl who you would not like to meet in a dark alley, without exposing herself to painful consequences. What lies beneath the perfect mask of Rebel, brought up in a dingy orphanage on the outskirts of Phoenix. The resentment that seeps into their heart is bursting through her body when the most unexpected guest arrives at the doorstep.It is said that life is a merry-go-round of sensations and, in the case of just a seventeen-year-old girl, it was the most adequate.Secrets are part of our existence, but can we find it.Will she be able to grow, to turn up the pages of the diary, getting to know the fate of her own past?Let me, Lady Nicola, reveal secrets that I bravely wield on my shoulders, and you will have the opportunity to get to know the story of a lost high school student who never wished to know the end of her next morning.
Relationships: Friendly - Relationship, Love - Relationship, affiliate, fraternal - Relationship
Kudos: 2





	1. TOM 1— REBEL : 00 — PROLOGUE

We are all very fragile.  
We all suffer from love or pain.  
Each of us is like a small child, wanting warmth and love.  
We all want to feel loved and safe in the arms of a loved one.  
We carry our problems on our shoulders.  
We hide our suffering, our shame, our scars from others, so that they will not see our tears, pain and suffering.  
There is a moment when we have enough of this and we want to finish with ourselves.  
However, there is a light in the tunnel.  
Hope for a better tomorrow.


	2. TOM 1— REBEL : 01 — SAVED CARD IN THE DIARY OF LIFE

She pulled her hood up harder, feeling someone's eyes on her. She ran away from the looks she encountered. It seemed to her that the only thing he saw in them was a false image of concern. A hypocritical image of someone's interest. She already knew what they were thinking about her. Poor girl who can not afford anything. It was not her choice, she had to wear old children's clothes since she was a child. They were hiding not to see what she did not want, the only thing she could see in strangers was an artificial picture of their interest. She did not want pity. She did not want to be the center of attention. She was a gray mouse and wanted to stay with her. One's lying interest will not introduce much into her life. She lived in the shade. She did not want to be honored. It was an unnecessary remark for her, which does not matter to her. She covered her hands deeper in the pockets of the dark sweatshirt, despite the warm temperature, she was wearing a hooded sweatshirt covering her scars, but not those that can be seen with the naked eye, but what is hidden inside the soul of every man, wounded emotions, feelings and heart which was suffering, real pain, wounded by many invisible knives that attacked like bullets fired from a rifle.  
She looked around carefully, going through one of the small safe streets. She asked herself why she had chosen this path to return to the "home", she did not know until the end. Only two years ago, she was not afraid to come here, but now this place made her fear and anxiety seem absurd, but true Just two years ago, she had been in this company, she now avoids this place like a fire, her old friends became her enemies, but she could not say that it was a "real friendship" she could not even call this friendship, it was a system like friendship. Can this be so defined? She did not know herself, but she was aware that they were waiting for her fall, only to come back to them.  
She saw a young girl who was getting into a black SUV, after a while the car drove off with a screech of tires. Disgusting, this street was a great place for young fast money girls who were ready to give up for more or less salary. She despised them. She did not understand how she could sell her body for a few dollars in salary. At the very thought, a shiver of disgust ran through her body. She shuddered, afraid, hearing the sudden clatter of glass bottles, looked around carefully, noticing a man in an alcoholic amok under one of the walls of the building. Many could be found here.  
— What brings you here? — she turned away, afraid of being afraid of the worst, a tall, dark-haired boy stood under one of the walls, the cap covered his eyes, but she knew his voice too well to confuse him with someone strange.  
— Rather not your business!  
— If you are looking for something interesting, I can get you for a low price, looking at our longstanding knowledge — he murmured to her knowingly.  
— I told you, I ended up with it — she irritated, leaving quickly.  
— If you change your mind, you know where to look for me — She heard his screams before his voice, in the distance, fell silent.  
Why, when she started to ask her boyfriend, she did not see her bringing her down the wrong path. For two years she has been circling many paths, looking for her own bridesmaid. He led her along the streets that pushed her to the very bottom of her soul. The answer was very simple, she was blind to see his true face. For a year she wandered in the deep crater of her heart, looking for a return, she wanted to find a path that would help her break free of all this shit. At that time she thought she was helping herself, was mistaken, hurting herself more and more. He made her not be able to free herself, he pushed her in the depths of darkness. She did, however, find the strength to stand up and take matters into her own hands. The first step was to break this toxic knowledge and find help. She found what she needed, the most escape. Freedom from everything.  
She did not notice when she was at the gate of one of the tenements. She pushed hard the door, which curved, did not belong to the newest, exposed for many years to various temperatures could be reflected. She went into a small yard. A small sandpit smashed from several boards stood in the middle of the square. There were two benches beneath the building's wall, two of them sitting on one of them, who would fail what they were discussing. She passed unnoticed next to them, entering a small staircase. She accelerated her pace with one goal.  
She unexpectedly came up with someone with a lot of impetus:  
— Take care of yourself — A friendly voice came to her ears.  
She did not pay much attention, she just gave me a quick "sorry" and went missing to her room, slammed the door, grabbed the guitar head on one of the headless beds, climbed onto the parapet, put the instrument on her lap, hooked on the strings, and quiet chords filled the room and from the mouth came the first line of the song:

Standing alone with no direction  
How did I fall so far behind?  
Why am I searching for perfection?  
Knowing it's something I won't find  
In my fear and flaws  
I let myself down again  
All because

Chorus:  
I run  
Till the silence splits me open  
I run  
Till it puts me underground  
Till I have no breath  
And no roads left but one

When did I lose my sense of purpose?  
Can I regain what's lost inside?  
Why do I feel like I deserve this?  
Why does my pain look like my pride?  
In my fear and flaws  
I let myself down again  
All because  
I let myself down  
In my fear and flaws

Chorus:  
I run  
Till the silence splits me open  
I run  
Till it puts me underground  
Till I have no breath  
And no roads left but one  
No roads left but one  
In my fear and flaws  
I let myself down again  
All because

Chorus:  
I run  
And the silence splits me open  
I run  
And it puts me underground  
But there's no regret  
And no roads left to run

A man has many faces, he sets up an invisible mask every morning, covering his true face. We are hidden under the emotions of indifference, sadness, joy or happiness. It depends on us what posture we place on a given day. Will we be happy or sad. There are, however, people who do not express feelings or emotions, they hide in the recesses of their hearts. They do not say what hurts them, worries, frustrates, rejoices or happy. They only show in words what they feel their facial face never says anything. The second part shows openly all your empathy or lack of it. Character or personality is hard to guess, after some time, however, we know what kind of person he has, others are superficial, even long months spent together will not show even a fraction of his soul. She was one of those people. She was reserved, she did not like expressing what lurked in her soul. When it came to arguments or quarrels she tried to be neutral, to wait out the resolution of the conflict, there were situations in which she could not sit quietly and had to fight for her opinion, but she preferred to avoid such situations. She was a distrustful person, making it difficult to make friends, she was afraid of people from an early age, she was afraid to trust someone, she would not suffer another injury, she did not have many friends, she was a loner and she felt good about it. In her free time she liked to draw or play, it calmed her down and gave her strength. Music was something special in her life, art was an inseparable part of her existence. Art was something that helped her express her feelings, transfer her thoughts to paper, many sketches found in her notebook, which was already full of many drawings that expressed her. It was for her detachment from reality, a stepping stone from the life from which she wanted to escape. For a moment, stop the nightmare in which she found herself.  
Life has never been kind to her. There was a beautiful happy ending tale with the famous sentence "and they lived a long time and happy." It all started if it was still small, It was only a few days when it was thrown at the door of this orphanage, wrapped in a warm blanket with a small card, on which was a short message:

Her name is Julia Bennington.

The story of her life began over seventeen years ago. She was taken in like many similar children. During the first years of her life she got to know the world around her, but with little difference. There were no people who should teach her to speak, or those who would show her the world in which she lives. Everything showed them completely alien to her, she relied on them, because she had no one else. She made a mistake, but then she did not realize how her trust would be put to the test of character. As a child, however, she did not understand many things, she blindly believed those who raised her. She did not know why, suddenly, all her trust was put to the test. She did not understand where she made the mistake of being treated like this. She was harmed from an early age and given great suffering. The attempt was not easy, she could say that no one should experience such pain. But then she did not understand it, she began to comprehend this fact when the age entered, in which every teenager begins to rebel against everything that is not directed by his thoughts or expectations. She was aware that she had been harmed. She was so terrified that she could not deal with it. She tried to escape from it. Was she able to defy? On the one hand she wanted, on the other she was scared at the thought. Who would believe a girl who caused so much trouble? - how many people repeated it. She was silent and hid the truth in the depths of her soul. No one could know her true face, they could not get to know what torments her and worries her. She did not want to hope that someone would understand her and help her, she did not count on that anymore. She had to cope by herself to defeat her demons.  
She tried to choose many roads to find answers to her questions and doubts. The first thing that came to her mind to find her loved ones. Those who were connected with her. She did not expect her to find her mother or father suddenly, let alone the siblings she could have. She wanted to know the whole truth about herself. Where did she come from? Why was she sent here? And most importantly, Why was it left? However, the effects were poor. She did not find anything but the page that was with her. She searched for her family for many months. She did not come across anything. She finally understood that her family apparently did not want to know her, which hurt her immensely. She took into account an accident, but something told her they were still alive. After a few months of searching, deceived by poor effects, she stopped to search for papers or documents that could lead her to a mark. She understood that her family had left her most and had to deal with her own life.  
All these events accumulated in her, rejection by the family, destroyed and wounded by those whom she called guardians, she did not understand for her peers or adults, everyone would give up all hope in her place, but something kept her stubbornly here on earth and she let go, but she could not say that she had not gone through this period calmly. Searching for a way that would allow her to subdue the rush of thoughts and bad memories, she went to one of the worse ways she could find. She fell into the company of fallen people on the edge of her life. For a time she felt well absorbed by the depths of drug smoke, did not throw herself into alcohol, only thanks to the stimulant she felt that her thoughts were leaving her. However, the bliss did not last long, when everything facilitated her memories returned with even more double strength. She ran away from it still in drugs, but she started to bum what she did not like many people, and the more the educator who supervised her. Enraged for her constantly escaping, they called the police to find her, she made them a few times, fortunately she was not under the influence of intoxicants. She knew that she could not come and destroy her life. When she did, she did it in places or situations where no one could find her. For her "escape" she got extremely hard, and then she suffered not only psychically, but then the psyche was on the verge of endurance, she did not eat, drink or leave the room for many days, the only thing that accompanied her was tears of humiliation and frustration, she lost all hope She wanted freedom, she did not want to feel anything, neither pain nor sadness, she wanted to stop breathing, when every time she was on the verge of life and death, she was helped to return to the living, and she cursed everything and even those who When they suggested to her gently that someone could help her, she would not hear about it. She shouted that no one would understand her, would not help her, and did not even try, because she did not want it herself.  
During one of the hospital stays. In the room where she was lying, she met Lucy - she was a girl after a car accident. At the beginning, she would talk to her, ask her what happened to her, but she even treated her as her greatest enemy. She did not understand that someone could have a good heart and help, then the world was bad for her. However, something has changed, her life has changed a bit. One day, Lucy sat listening to the album of one of her favorite bands, well remembers the song that fell into her memory so much. She loved her sound. She asked her neighbor about the song, at first she was surprised by her sudden change, but she kindly told her a question and told some interesting facts about the band she loved so much. Suddenly she found someone with whom she could normally talk. For the rest of their stay they talked many times, but their paths were separated. They had to come back, since that day she had no contact with her. She did not look for her, but she was grateful that thanks to her she met such a very special team. Delving into their work in songs, she found the meaning of life. Texts that had a message, a deeper meaning that showed how to live. They became her hope, fuel and faith in hard times. It will seem strange, but the band of Chester Bennington helped her to understand herself and her actions. She could boldly say that they let her break up with what tormented her. Death was a great influence for her. The awareness that one was witnessing someone's departure should destroy it deeper, but with her he caused her a shock that allowed her to break with drugs. She saw a girl dying in front of her eyes, who took a large dose of marijuana. She never experienced such shock as then. She realized that if she did not quickly throw away what is destroying her from the inside, it would be too late to save her. Amazing how a convolution of many events can have an impact on our future lives and it depends on what path we follow.  
She sighed quietly, memories of her life were not easy for her. She reconciled with them, she knew that you can not erase your memory and had to learn to live with it.  
Suddenly, her attention was caught by a couple of young people who were walking along the paved sidewalk, she knew how the boy whispered something quietly into the ear of his partner, she noticed her gentle smile. They looked enamored and really happy. Love is another synonym which was supposed to be associated with joy and evoked not very good moments in it. In relationships that did not end too well. The first moments of love and infatuation, she was also one of the victims of this feeling. An unhappy infatuation led her too far, what we call love. She fell victim to her own boyfriend. It seems that the beginnings of their relationship were really good, she hoped that this infatuation would turn into something stronger on his part. In what error she lived. He did not know or did not understand what it was all about, mutual concern, devotion or feeling. How many before him he wanted to destroy her. She lived in a vicious circle for several months. She hoped he would change, he would understand that he was hurting her. Unfortunately, he saw in her only a girl who will be on all of his skin, he will not oppose him, he will not let him stop. He will sit quietly and listen to him. Again she fell into a vicious circle from which she could not free herself. The quarrel that shared their views and his action changed the view of their relationship completely, she believed that he had control over his life and did not give up, but he was not strong enough. She allowed herself to be re-admitted and inspected by her. He was her puppeteer and she was a puppet who was moved on the strings of a man above her.  
She had enough of such treatment, she spent many hours reflecting on her life, she wanted to see where she went wrong.  
She made a decision that did not really please her boyfriend. But she was adamant. She dropped what was destroying her. She never saw him so angry, she was afraid for her life, but she was tenacious. Kent's anger was about to be revealed, destroying her irrevocably, but thanks to a certain peasant who came back from a martial arts lesson disturbed by her screams for help, he pulled away a drunk and stoned boy from her. She received help that she never expected. From word to word, their conversation was more interesting. For the next days, they saw each other in the same park, talking for hours. Over the course of weeks, their feelings turned into something stronger. Black was a nice boy with a quiet personality, he never asked unnecessary questions when he saw that he did not want to talk, he did not ask he was with her. Even when both of them were sitting in complete silence, it was enough for her.  
The old boy let him know. He attacked Justin unexpectedly when he did not expect anything and did not even have a defense. He lay unconscious under the apparatus for two weeks, the doctors had hardly saved his life. Unfortunately, when she came to the hospital, a serious conversation awaited her. Justin, afraid for himself and his life after many reflections, made a decision that was not easy for both of them. She was alone again. However, she decided then one thing. He will not allow someone close to her to suffer. She will do everything to protect her from danger and her past.  
She turned as she heard the door open. There was a girl who was very similar to her in the aisle, but her features were sharper and the shadow of her eyes was dark purple.  
— What are you looking at? — She said sharply, sliding the leather ramones from her shoulders.  
She wanted to answer something, but she was asked to:  
— I advise you a rag that you would not say anything unanswered.  
— You are calling me the worst, and you are not a better woman — she jumped to her feet — You can only call yourself a whore — before she could answer she moved to the exit.  
She did not want to lead to another row. There were many quarrels and misunderstandings between her and Lisa. Many of these "conversations" ended with a few tumors, and they had to be separated several times, and even these situations did not force their caregivers to separate them, the characters and personalities were so different, and the priorities they had. She would blame her for a terrible attack from her absent-mindedness, and she staggered dangerously, and if it were not for someone's help in the form of strong arms that prevented her from falling, she looked gratefully at the young man who gave her a warm smile.  
— Be careful, you'll fall into the wall at another time — he said with amusement.  
— An extra tumor does not make much of a difference to me — she replied snide.  
She wanted to leave now when she heard her name:  
— Julia, wait — she turned away.  
In her direction was Mrs Smith, the director of the Orphanage — a tall woman with dark violet eyes, her dark hair was covered in a high coca. The shirt was immaculate white and the jacket was perfectly matched. The woman quickened her pace and after a moment stood next to her and the man who was still standing nearby.  
— What's the director's point? — she turned to the woman, losing eye contact with the brown hair.  
— I see you found her in front of me — she said to the dark-haired one.  
— You could say she was the one who came up with me — he replied.  
— Julia is someone who wants to talk to you  
— Can you explain to me what you mean by that?  
— Let me explain — again, he turned to her — My name is


	3. TOM 1— REBEL : 02 — UNATTAINABLE DREAMS

— Julia is someone who wants to talk to you.  
— Can you explain to me what you mean by that?  
— Let me explain it — he interjected, pointing his gaze at Her — My name is Chester Bennington and I have suspicions that we have a lot in common.  
— I do not think that we would have anything to say — the words spoken by men seemed quite surprising to her, it was unbelievable that something could be associated with it, a noticeable chill in her tone, pierced by the patron. A few words escaped her lips, but her dry tone chilled him through.  
— Let me explain what I am coming to you, decide if I should leave and forget that this conversation took place — he fell silent, words came to him with difficulty, despite the fact that I do not know this girl, he felt in some way that he is close his heart. They were separated by a great wall of oblivion and family secrets.  
— Good, but only a few minutes — she said firmly, her sea eyes watching him with steel eyes.  
— Is there a place where we could talk quietly?  
— I invite you to my office, I will leave you alone. I need to take care of a few things with Julia's caregivers—They walked along the lit corridor, silently reaching the dark mahogany door. The woman pushed them and gestured them In — I'll be back in a few minutes, good luck — she said directly to the dark-haired girl, and left the office, adjusting her glasses to the tip of her nose.  
—Can you explain to me who you are? — She crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring the tattooed man.  
There was a deaf silence in which he tried to think about how to give her a message that would change her life, he had no idea to what extent, but he knew that he would not be the same teenager as in the previous life. If she accepts information that she has a family who has been silent throughout her life so far, now a man appears who may be related to her with blood ties. He tried to sort out his thoughts and make the right words to speak.  
—I do not know what he started... — he sat on one of the armchairs at his desk and looked deep into her eyes.  
— From the beginning — she hissed, she did not want to play silly games. If he had anything to say to her, let him say what is bothering him, let this matter be behind him.  
— Do you know anything about your family? — that question surprised her, she turned her head towards him, and he saw in her irises a shadow of interest, covered under the mask of indifference.  
— In addition to what they called me and abandoned me as some irrelevant thing, I do not know anything — the last words she said almost with venom.  
— Why do you think so?  
— I have many reasons to be careful, but I have no reason to share my thoughts with you!  
— Do you feel hurt?  
— I do not know that feeling!  
— I would just like to talk to you calmly, I do not mean to hurt you with my words.  
— Explain these riddles to me? Why do you ask me that, if we have nothing to do with us?  
— I wanted to get to know you a bit — he replied calmly, approaching her.  
— Why?  
— Last months have passed me to discover the family puzzle and the search for a person who is close to me - he began.  
— What secret? What do I have to do with this?  
— My mother kept secrets in her heart for many years. None of us had any idea that she became pregnant and after nine months she gave birth to a healthy daughter named Julia.  
— Many girls my age have a similar name ...  
— Let me finish — last her words — She gave birth to a daughter who was given several days after birth to the Children's Home in Brigstons. She left only a brief note in which she explained how the girl's name was. The content of this message was short and concise "Her name is Julia Bennington — Today, the girl is seventeen and celebrates her eighteenth birthday in December?  
— Stop — she interrupted him, staring at him with unbelief — It can only be a stupid coincidence.  
— It would be, but a lot of facts are saying that we are a family.  
— You think that in this way you will convince me that you are right.  
— I'm going to show you something — From the outside pocket of his dusty jacket, he pulled out a folded picture, held out his hand with the photograph. She glanced at him, taking the photo. She spread the paper. She saw in the picture a tall woman with delicate facial features, who had rejuvenated her for several years, sea eyes sparkling merrily, slightly upturned nose contrasted with full lips that hovered in a warm smile. Her arm embraced a young man in light blond hair that looked like it was torn by the wind. Dark brown iris watched carefully behind the dark frames of the glasses. A dark T-shirt revealed numerous tattoos that covered his shoulders. She raised her head and looked at her, who was watching her carefully, anxiety lurking in his eyes. There was a lot of doubt about his mind, and a lot of them depended on her.  
— This is a joke!  
— No! — he denied — You do not see the similarity? You're very much like Mom.  
— It could be a coincidence.  
— I do not think so.  
— Why?  
Then he pulled an envelope out of his pocket, her address was barely perceptible to her, he handed her an envelope with a letter that would explain everything.  
—The envelope has a letter that our mother wrote to you. She explained all the doubts and secrets she had hidden over the years. It shows that you are my sister Julia — he finished, seeing the faint shadow of surprise.  
— I do not have a brother!  
— I thought about you too, but I got to the documents that confirm our blood ties.  
— Are you sure it's not a mistake?  
— No, I talked to a lawyer and there is no mistake.  
— Why is there no mention of my mother or father in my birth certificate?  
— This document is not real, your mom had the original document of your birth.  
She was silent, no longer having arguments to continue this discussion. It seemed to her that it would be unrealistic for so many secrets to be hidden from her, and many more would await her if she wanted to wrestle it and learn the whole truth about herself. She dropped into a nearby chair, holding a letter in her hand that would explain everything to her, but she did not have the courage to open it and learn the truth about the past.  
—I have to think it all over — she said after a long moment without looking up.  
— I understand — he nodded, he could only guess what mess she had in her mind, how many thoughts and doubts she was putting in — If you decide to talk to me, my number — he slipped a small card into her hands.  
She silenced his words, still staring blindly at the dark planks of the dance floor, the news that her brother had conveyed to her could not have been called her yet? She had no idea. Now nothing was like just a few minutes ago, she had to think so much and sort out all their conversation.  
— I'd like you to call me and give my decision to Julia — he said after a long wait.  
— Okay — she looked up – Be aware that you still think it's a sick joke — He felt the grief of regret, but he expected her to react in a similar way.  
— I understand Julia, I hope we'll see you in a few days — he added, staring deeply into her bright eyes — It's very important to me.  
— I need time to sort everything out.  
— I hope we'll see each other — the corner of his mouth gently twitched up.  
She only shrugged her shoulders, not knowing how to answer his words, the creaking of the door interrupted the uncomfortable silence between them. Mrs. Smith returned to the room.  
— Have you made decisions?  
— I'm not taking Julio with me — She looked up at Chester's words – We both have to think about it. Give us a few more days.  
— Well. I expected such a turn of events. Julia, wait for me. I will take Mr. Bennington and I would like to exchange a few words with you — She turned to her protégé, who only nodded slightly.  
The babysitter left the office at the side of the musician, stopped nearby.  
— I hope that everything will work out and Julia will find happiness at your side — the headmistress began, she was happy, how any her ward can find peace in the adoptive family or after many years the biological family finds their child to ensure its safety. It is not often that a brother finds his sister after many years of silence. She had no idea how she was, she only knew, as much as Mrs. Bennington gave her, she understood that he had not told her about many things, if he was silent on some subjects he had a very good reason not to say a word. She only wanted children to find a happy and safe home, and he could provide Julia with everything that was good. It did not prejudge the matter, because the two of them had to understand everything.  
— I would like to give her what she has so far lacked, everything depends on whether she will decide to meet me once again — he replied.  
—I will talk to her, I will not convince her anything, because this decision belongs to her, let her know that she may not believe you.  
— I am aware of this, I would like to regain my sister and all my lost years – he explained — I will go now — he added after a long silence.  
— See you later.  
The man walked slowly, leaving the orphanage, put on his glasses as the bright rays of the sun wrapped his face around him. In the distance he saw a tall brunette leaning against the car and eagerly awaiting his friend's return.  
— Did you find her? — He asked, straightening up as Chester swept by him.  
— Yes. Unfortunately, I was deluded that I would be able to take her home.  
— Surely it was a surprise for her. Her life turned unexpectedly. She lived in the belief that she did not have any family and a brother appears unexpectedly.  
— I know Mike — he sighed heavily, getting into the vehicle — I saw how far he approached me.  
— He's afraid.  
— I do not want to push her, but I want to regain those lost years with her. Although I did not know her before, I felt a strange attachment when I saw her. As if I saw a long invisible friend. Is it strange that I want my sister to be happy?  
— No. You want to give her what she has missed for so many years. Love, brotherly love and a desire to protect and feel safe — he stopped at the intersection, when the lights changed their color, telling them to stop.  
— You know me well, Mike — he admitted — I do not have to say anything, be clear about what's going on in my head.  
— You are my old friend, nothing will change that — He gave him a warm smile, but he had to focus his attention on the road.  
— I'm grateful for that.


	4. TOM 1— REBEL : 03 — MYSTERIOUS HEART

She sat in the shadow of a spreading oak, casting her shadow on it, stopping it from the influx of light. Only two days had passed since Chester's meeting, and she was still thinking about talking to the young man. She did not trust him, she could not open herself to someone who was completely stranger to her. He put on an open card and revealed a family secret to her, which was to remain in the comfort of home warmth, it seemed strange and distant for her after so many years to look for answers to the question that plagued her about her origin she was about to solve. Explain all doubts. She had already lost hope that she would find her biological family, understood that her parents were dead or abandoned her, which caused her pain, even though she had no idea who the people who could raise her were. Unexpectedly, a man appears in her life who thinks he is his younger sister. Complete absurdity, she did not have siblings, at least she persuaded herself for so many years. She remembered the last minutes of the meeting with Bennington and his statement, whether he really was the truth, he could boldly lie to her, fool him with a dim hope of changing his life, but would reveal her, his family secret, any meaning? He revealed his object to her. She pulled out the half-fold envelope of her outer pocket, her name was "Julia Jessica Bennington" on the paper, she watched the news that her mother had left, could she call her a woman, did she have a family, the longer she looked at a clear document Do you have more and more cows or do you want to read this letter and find out the truth about yourself? "She hesitantly opened the envelope after a long moment of reflection, saw a letter written in a neat woman's handwriting:

Beloved daughter.  
Too much words lead you to the very beginning of my words of explanation. I would like to tell you so much, express my regret, apologize for the harm I have done to you. I do not know if I am worthy of calling you my daughter. I have so much to tell you and so little time to explain to you the secrets that my soul hides from the day of your birth. I hid the secret of your existence in the depths of my heart. It is time to reveal the cards to you and your older brother. I have been silent for too long. Julia, I expect the words you are reading now will make you dizzy. After the birth of your brother, John declared that he no longer wanted to increase his family, he strongly opposed it, do not think about me badly, I never cheated on my husband and your father. I have always been faithful to him. When your brother was ten years old, I became pregnant, it was one of the happiest days of my life, when I found out that a healthy girl was growing under my heart, from the moment I found out you were born, I called you Julia, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl girls. However, I did not know how to tell your dad about you. Many times I was ready to say that I am expecting a child, but at the last moment I hesitated. Nobody knew about your existence except me and my sister. Anabell supported me very much during this period, but the most difficult one was to come. I will never forget the day of your birth when I first took you innocent and defenseless. You were my little princess, for which I was able to give my life. John learned the truth, he met you. I thought that as soon as he saw you he would love you as much as I did, I was wrong. Your father threatened me that if I did not give you away, she would take my son away from me and turn my life into a nightmare. I could not lose you or Chester. I had no idea what to do, I could not lose both of you. I tried to talk, convince my father to change his decision, he left me no choice. I had to make a decision that changed my whole life. I could not give you back, but John made me do it. I never regretted any decision as when I was forced to leave you at the doorstep of the orphanage. Our family has never been the same again. First, I lost my daughter, then I started losing my son. I made a lot of mistakes, but most regrets that I did not oppose my spouse and I was not forced to give my only daughter to strangers.  
If you read this, I know that your brother will be able to find you. I am convinced that you did not give faith in his words. I want you to know that Chester did not know he had a sister. He lived in the unconscious for many years. It was only a few months ago that I asked him for a meeting in which I revealed to him my secret, which I have kept on my shoulders for so many years. He thought it was just my invention, a stupid joke on my part, I never knew him so angry. After many days of silence, we met again, saw that my last days were coming and promised that he would do anything to find you and give you what you missed for so many years. Security and brotherly love. I know you can not trust him, but please, listen to your heart. Give yourself a chance to Chester.  
Ending my letter, I would like to apologize to you for the evil done, I am not asking for forgiveness, I want only to be sure that my children are together and they are happy. Let me calm only when you are safe next to your brother's side.  
Remember that I have always loved you.  
Mom

She stared dumbfounded at the enveloping envelope. Could it really be true? She was abandoned only because her father did not want her. A painful dagger was stuck in her wounded heart. She had realized many years ago that her true family had denied her, but she had felt extremely hurt and deceived by reading tangible words. She could understand her mother's behavior, but she could not, should fight for her, but she did not, she left at the beginning of the battle. She felt enormous anger at her parents, she did not understand their behavior, she did not want to learn the motivations that led her father when he told her to get rid of her home. She could admit that she would not forgive John what he had done to her. She did not know, but how did he act? There were many conflicting emotions, but a thought passed through her mind. She hesitated to meet Chester again and talk to him about the past years, more she wanted to make sure he did not really know about her existence?  
She rose from the ground, brushing off her pants with grass stalks that had settled on the dark jeans. She put the envelope inside the pocket of her pants. Slowly, a well-kept path through the park, in her mind still roared her from too much thought  
— Chester, I understand your emotions, but sit down calmly, since you are talking to Julia, you are restless – he said patiently, coming to the dark-haired one — Please, calm down – He put his hand on his shoulder.  
– I can not, you understand! He replied impatiently, throwing a hand over his friend's shoulder, pacing restlessly around the versatile living room of Michael's house – Now too much depends on her. I have a huge regret to my mother. She was silent for so many years without saying anything about Julia.  
– Chester is not her fault.  
— Yes, Mike, but she could have fought for her, which does not change the fact that I have a grudge against her for not putting her up. My sister was raised by strangers away from her family. She was condemned to a fate from a child who should not touch her — he stopped on a soft carpet and looked at a brunet sitting on a light-brown sofa - What should I do to believe me?  
—Let her think it over and sort it out. It is not easy for her, she suddenly finds out that she has a family, and she felt rejected by her loved ones all her life — he saw a sense of regret in Bennington's dark eyes – you have no reason to blame yourself for this state of affairs, you had no idea you had sister – he did not take his eyes off the figure of a friend who sat next to him, sighed softly muffled by the recent events — You will see that Julia will answer, only needs much more time. It will be good, "he assured, trying to improve his mood a bit.  
— I hope Mike.  
Unexpectedly, the sound of a quiet melody broke the silence between two men. Louis reached for the phone, lying on a coffee stool, an unknown number was displayed on the lock screen. He was looking at the stranger's numbers, not sure whether to pick up the call.  
— You will not pick up? — A friend asked, seeing doubt on his face.  
— I do not know this number — he admitted softly.  
— If it's her?  
— I do not know, Mike.  
— Receive!  
With anxiety he pressed the green receiver, putting the phone to his ear.  
— Listen?  
— Am I talking to Chester Bennington? — on the other side he heard a girl's voice, he was sure he had heard him, but he was not convinced — On this side Julia, Julia... Bennington. We met in Phoenix a week ago - she began to explain in a hurry, feeling somewhat awkward.  
— Relax, Julia — he got up from the comfort of the sofa, walked through the living room, going out to the terrace bathed in the glow of the late noon.  
— Do you have time to talk?  
— Of course. I'm glad you spoke.  
— I was thinking a lot about our last conversation — he heard her voice slightly trembling.  
— I understand that you may be distrustful of me, but...  
— I read a letter from my mother - he stopped in a half step — Are we really my brother? — he felt like he was not sure of his words.  
— Yes, Julio, I'm sure. Everything proves that you are my sister, there is no mistake. All the documents prove that we are siblings — he tried to calmly explain the facts that are so well known to him — Julia is not talking on the phone, we could meet and talk. I will bring the documents, then I will explain everything to you.  
— Well, when would you come?  
— I'll try to be tomorrow morning.  
— Good, do not hurry — she said before she was forced to hang up the phone – See you.  
— See you, Julia — he hid the phone in his shirt pocket, not quite believing what had happened. He turned as he heard the door to the terrace open, Michael standing in the doorway, anxiously awaiting the further development of events.  
— I'm going back to Phoenix!  
— Did you talk to her?  
— He wants to meet me, I heard that he finally wants to clear up all doubts.  
— Please, just look after yourself — his friend warned him, his voice slightly worried.  
— Mike, you do not have to worry about me, I'm going to talk to Her — To some extent, he felt he could meet the teenager again.


	5. TOM 1— REBEL : 04 —  MIRROR OF TRUTH

— Hansel, Bennington calm! — a tall, broad—shouldered man, stood between two teenagers, girls, although deceptively similar, a few different them, in Julia's bright look you could see the grommy that flung at your roommate, the red eye was a clear trace of the recent quarrel, tousled hair that popped from her coca fell on the reddish anger of her face, she tried to control spasmodic breath, individual strands of hair hovered with each of her restless breaths. The crumpled clothes were two sizes too large. There were single traces of nails on the face of the rivals, the other girl did not look any better, dark metallic blood ran down her smashed nose, always perfectly arranged hair, now there was a mess, her perfect pale complexion showed signs of a recent struggle  
— What was it supposed to be? — screamed a woman who stood next to her friend, watching seventeen years old.  
— I told you to move her, I get on my nerves — said the bolder, bobbing her friend with a hateful look.  
— Could you stop calling me from s*** t and d****, that all these arguments would not be — she asked the voice to not reach her word to the ear of the educators — I tell everyone how you work? — she noticed how her face freezes with indignation and she knew that she hit her delicate point.  
— Do not even Rother — she hissed softly.  
She smiled cunningly, seeing in her dark gaze a shadow of anxiety.  
— That's enough, if it happens again, you are separated — the reared popo.  
— You could have done it before!  
— I already explained to you, Lis, we do not have enough rooms.  
—I wanted to live with April!  
— She already has a roommate.  
She did not listen to the further discussion of her guardian and friend, she did not want to listen to this man, she crossed her arms over her and looked at him with a wink, then he saw her gaze.  
— What is Jullo about?  
— Can I go now?  
— Yes — he replied briefly, returning to the conversation with the teenager.  
She turned on her heel, without a word of farewell, she started to leave the dining room. She would not be able to fight this fight again if Lisa did not provoke her again, she did not like violence and aggression, but she would not let herself be insulted. Almost running, she crossed the path to the front door and stepped out onto the backyard flooded in the sunlight. She would have gladly left the alley, but after talking to Chester yesterday, she had a lot to think about, she wanted to wait for him and learn the answers to the questions that bother her. She sat on the back of a wooden bench, supporting her knees, watching two children playing in the sandbox, although she did not make any friends here and avoided contact with the pupils, she loved children and liked to play with them sometimes, she wanted to give them a little childhood which she They are missing. Suddenly, a small plastic ball fell out of the sand, she did not even know what Luke and Layla were doing, the bright ball rolled under the wooden seats, grabbed her and flung Layla.  
— You lost something.  
— Thanks Julia — a little blonde called back.  
— Are you playing with us?  
— Not today, Luke.  
— Well — they almost answered the chorus and came back to playing together in the fort.  
Observing six—year—olds, she immersed herself in the world of her thoughts, did not notice the man approaching her.  
— Hi Julia — she said, her head jerked out of her thoughts.  
— Hi — she smiled shyly, looking at the face of the patina hidden behind the dark glasses.  
— You appeared quickly — she said, jumping from the bench, approaching him.  
— I was driving at night, there is less traffic — he explained quickly, removing his glasses.  
— She begged you not to be in a hurry — he laughed softly, at her words sitting down in a chair on which she looked up to the little ones. He saw her questioning looks, slightly surprised by his reaction, he hurried to answer.  
— You remind me of my friend, he also gave me the same words before I left — she silenced his explanation, sitting down again on the edge of the bench.  
— She's worried about you — she broke the silence between them, disturbed only by the conversation of the siblings in the sandbox and the sound of cars passing through the streets.  
— He is worried about each of us - she replied quietly — You better tell me what happened to you? — slowly, he turned to her, noticing the redness on her cheek a moment ago.  
— Nothing — she said, shrugging her shoulders indifferently.  
— I would not say that, it looks Bad — he muttered, glancing at her with the eyes of his dark irises.  
— I'm really going to be harmless — she assured him — Are we going?  
— Of course — he replied, rising, he held out his hand with dark glasses — You better put them on! — he recommended.  
— No.  
— I insist.  
— Okay — she picked up his glasses, but only to avoid getting him a problem, just getting to know each other, did not want to get him into trouble.  
They left the dark walls of the tenement house, went ahead along the cobbled pavement, but Julia knew where she wanted to go, she knew the place very well, and she knew that nobody would disturb them there.  
— Do you know where we're going? — a question was asked from his lips, after a short walk, noticing at the opposite end of the street, a well-known park.  
— Yes — she said, crossing the street — I like to come here because I know that no one will interrupt — she added as they sat down under her favorite tree in the least-frequented part of the park.  
— I did not know this place — he said, looking around the small alley, tall trees towered above them, small brook in the distance hummed quietly, birds singing sitting on tree branches, cheerful melody calmed the senses - As a teenager I visited various parts of Phoenix, but this place does not associate.  
— Few people know that it exists, I found it through a pure accident when I went to school around the city.  
— It's nice here, you sit here often?  
— I can say that yes — she took off her glasses, putting them on the green grass.  
They listened to the singing of nightingales, chirping a happy melody that floated in the gentle breeze. The sound of water in the distance added accompaniment to animal instruments, in the distance you could only hear the noise of the city, but this mysterious corner gave the impression that they were sitting both in the countryside, where free time flowed.  
— Did you know the truth? — He lowered his eyes, hearing the first words from the teenager's lips.  
— I had no idea. I did not know anything that I had a sister. Mom did not tell me anything. I know my father knew about you...  
— He gave me up — the bitterness of her words, hovering in the air.  
— Julia, I really did not know anything — he focused her eyes on her — I swear, my mother only told me half a year ago that she gave birth to you, my father acted like a finished d *** k, but...  
— How did you know that I would agree to everything.  
— I was not sure, but I did not want someone else to raise you.  
— What about my father? If he is alive, he still has parental rights.  
— There are no laws, mother, before she left, she found him and forced him to relinquish power over you.  
— So... You want to tell me that you're responsible for me?  
— Yes — he explained calmly with a slight smile on his lips.  
She fell silent not knowing what to say. The only thing that occurred to her was that her brother would surprise her not once.  
— You're sure you want it, it's a responsibility.  
— Julia, I've never been sure how to give you a real Home — he gently took her hand, but she quickly took it back. Concerned by her sudden reaction, he looked at her suspiciously.  
—Do not ask — she explained briefly, looking away.  
— Will you agree to live with me? — he repeated his offer.  
— Today?  
— Why not, the holidays have started, we will have plenty of time to get to know each other.  
— You surprised me a bit, I was not prepared for it.  
— I know, but I do not want you to live here — he added, remembering the old town walls. He wanted to give her a real home that she should have received a long time ago. He saw that he was thinking about his offer. He did not know whether he would agree, but he had the slightest hope that he would hear her words of agreement.  
— Okay — he waited a long time for her words — But you will let me go when I do not feel certain — he accepted her words with a slight resistance.  
— Let's go back, I'll help you pack up, we'll have to talk to Smith — He rose from the ground, giving her glasses again and again, which he would play with every now and then.  
Despite such a short acquaintance, they set off on a short road, talking about recent events. They reached the dark gate, they went to such a known courtyard. They crossed the dark door and headed to the headmistress's office.  
— You are ready? — He asked just outside the office door  
She nodded slightly, knocked calmly, waiting for the invitation. They did not have to wait for an invitation for a long time. They came in after a moment, the woman raised her head on the file of documents lying in front of her.  
— I did not expect to see you — she began, coming up to them, squeezing the man's hand — Julia, I was looking for you all morning, where were you?  
— I took her for a walk — he explained briefly.  
— I need to explain something to you — she told the ward, before she turned directly to the singer — What brings you to me?  
— I will explain later, please tell me more about what you wanted to talk with Julia — curious about the whole situation, he finally wanted to know the answer, why the teenager has a black eye and what it's all about.  
The woman sighed quietly before she explained.  
— If you were not the legal guardian of Julia, I could not tell you, but in this case, you have the right to know — she looked at a seventeen-year-old who was not overwhelmed by events before breakfast — Julia got into a fight with one of her friends.  
— Lisa is not my friend — she raised her voice, agitated at the thought of Hansel — We asked the educators to separate us, because we do not get along, they did not do it!  
— Julia, I've heard about it, but we do not have enough rooms.  
— The lady wants to say that the girls have beaten each other, and yet they are still living with each other — said the man indignant at the lack of reaction from the headmistress.  
— You misunderstood me...  
— I think I understand perfectly well. Her roommate called out an argument, they got into a fight and they still live together? Do not you seem a bit irresponsible?  
— Please, listen to me...  
— I'm not taking Julie from this place, I will not allow my sister to live in such a place — he added firmly.  
— If you put a case like that – she confessed coldly, going to one of the lockers and pulling out a stack of documents – Before he tells you to sign the last paper, I must be sure Julia wants it too.  
— Yes, I want to live with Chester — she said shortly, feeling his eyes on her.  
— Well, if you put a case like that. Please sign — she suggested to Bennington, who signed it without hesitation.  
— I hope that you will feel good by your brother — before the women departed she turned to her former ward.  
— I also.  
They left the office and went to one of the rooms. After almost a minute, they were in the room that Julia and Lisa had occupied. Opening the dark door, she hoped she would not be there, she was wrong, the girl was sitting comfortably on her bed, talking to her best friend.  
— Finally, you are, you will pay me for this number, for food — she hissed as soon as she appeared in the doorway. She knew the rage on her face, she wanted to settle her bills from two hours ago, April's presence was no obstacle, because she did not like Bennington just as much as she did.  
— You think that you are afraid of you, free jokes, provoke any quarrels between us. You are the only wine! — the line at the temple of the younger girl was pulsing dangerously.  
— It's funny to judge me.  
— I've made up my mind for a long time — she said, going deeper, did not see Chester, disappeared behind the door, picking up the phone from the team's manager.  
— Lisa no! — black—haired girl with difficulty stopped her colleague by another quarrel with a disliked tenant.  
Julia did not worry too much, she took the suitcase from the inside of the wardrobe, put it on the bed, opened it, and began packing her clothes, when the last blouse landed on the bottom, her brother entered the room.  
— Forgive Julia, urgent conversation.  
— Nothing happened — she did not even notice when April pulled the girl out of the room, not allowing another buoy, although she did not like her too much, she had had enough of their constant adventures.  
— Help you?  
—I can not do it — she said, pulling out the sketchbook and notebooks from the bedside table and stacking them on the desk, wanting to hide the little things she owned into the box.  
She did not see her brother, who was looking around the room, then his gaze caught on the poster, his and his friends.  
— Are you listening to rock?  
She looked up at his question:  
— Yes, why are you asking? — then she saw his gaze on his team's poster, she smiled slightly at the sight.  
— You know the team — he said more than he asked.  
— It's true, I know your work and I admire you very much.  
She hid the rest of the trinkets into the casket and put it in a safe place.  
— I am not of those girls who squeak and shout at your view — she added, squatting next to the musician.  
— I noticed, otherwise you would react somehow when we met for the first time.  
— You know, I was so shocked by the revolutions you gave me that I did not even bother about it — he laughed at her words, helping her put the last things in her bag.  
When she left the walls of the place she had so far called home, she felt a certain kind of relief and happiness that she did not have to spend the next days in that place she called prison.


	6. TOM 1— REBEL : 05 —  LOST BROTHERLY LOVE

They spent over five hours on the journey, the road stretched with every mils and she did not know how she would fell, crossing the boundaries if the New city. In a place where her life will start again a complete revolution In her seventeenth birthday. She did not know what to expect, what awaits her on the spot what challenges and difficulties she would have to overcome on the path to happiness. Will He manage to put his life In a hormonious calm? Questions that have been bothering her Since the beginning of the trip. He can trust Chester, do you feel understood by hum and above all, will they both be able to fall In love? They knew each Rother Orly for a few days, noticing a difference that distinguished her relationship with her friends from her past, her infimach with Bennington. It seemed a bit strange to her, fear was not In her presence In the presence of a young man. Somehow she managred to forg et the ankiety that had accompanied her for so mamy years. She felt scared, but it was fear of a New envirrorment a change of place.   
She Leanem her head against the back of the chair, closing her eses, listering to the sound of 3 Doors Down with the recently released song It’S Not My Time, Brad’s voice filling the vehicle, opering her eyelids when Arnold’s voice was slignhty drowned out by Linkin Park’s frontline ocal. He gave her a gentle smile noticing her half-closed eyelids. The sound of the first notes of a rock ballad flowed through the loudspeakers of the car:  
— A strange feeling to hear yourself — Said the slightly amused man as the velnicle filled with the sounds of Leave Out The All Rest.  
— I thought it was normal for musicians, usually Turing recordings you repeatndly hear your ocal part recorded much earlier — she Said In a low voice, taping He rhythm with her finger   
— Yes, I will not deny your statement. There are, however, momentswhen listering to the radio stadion in which ou play the band’s song you have the thoughts of „Why do I hear myself?” Such moments are moment ary and do not last long, because as you well neoticed as stage artists we must listen to out vovals — He explained stopping AT the traffic lights, He glancem to her — However the fans Deception is much more important beccause they mean a great suport for the artist. They are aware then that their music means something, and if they interpret it in the right way and understand the messane of a Niven song, we know that our work will be rewarded Turing the concerts — again looked at the lights that changed their color.   
She nodded slightly, his words contained the truth itself. Words of music performers which she admired had great value, many of these songs thought her hw to cope n difficult moments of her life, maybe the Rother person will not fully undeerstand, who does not pay much attention to the song, to understand what the musician wantad to convey what to teach what to Warn against.  
— You will have many opportunities to talk about music — she lookedp and encuntered the dark look of her brother who Stoppel at the gas stadion.  
— How did you know I was thinking about it?  
— I did not know — He replied, ta king out the wallet froom the compartment — I see, however, that you are a great enthusiast of strong sounds.   
— I have to agree with you.  
— I'm sure there will be many opportunities for this and you will catch a quick language with my colleagues — She did not manage to answer his statement when he left the vehicle.  
She plunged into her thoughts, watching her satan talking to the station's employee. She jumped slightly frightened when a calm melody broke through a song played on the radio, she looked around worried about the source of sound, then her eyes fell on the phone on the handle, the melody signaling a new connection. She was not a nosy or interesting person, she did not like to violate someone's privacy, she only saw the name of the interlocutor and his photograph on the display, she looked down from the cell screen, did not look at her more closely. Moments later, the melody fell silent, and she noticed the approaching musician in his vehicle.  
— We can go — he said, hiding his wallet in place.  
— I do not want to be unfriendly, but someone called you — She looked at the drug with her brother, fearing his reaction, she did not want to pass as a person who somehow wants to impose.  
— You have no reason to apologize for such a small suggestion — the man grabbed the phone, glancing at the last missed call — I thought so — he muttered under his breath, choosing the number of a friend. He put the phone to his ear and made a connection.  
— What happened? I could not pick up earlier.  
— I was worried and wanted to ask where you are?  
— Mike, you can be calm, I'm going back to Los Angeles, I'll be in town in about an hour. You have no reason to be afraid.  
— What about Julia? Have you talked to her?  
— Yes. You will have the opportunity to meet her.  
— What are you talking about? He heard a slight astonishment in the voice of his friend.  
— I'll explain everything to you when we meet.  
— You will not show up in the studio?  
— No, give the boys that I will not be here yet, I would like to spend a few days with her. You will manage without me for now.  
— Okay, but you'll see that in the end, they'll take you to the hut and drag you by force to the studio for such extended holidays.  
— Give me a few days!  
— Good, but I will come to you in a few days.  
— Mike, I have to go, I'll talk to you later.  
— Hey  
— See you later.  
He put the phone down and looked at the girl when he saw her eyelids closed and his breathing grew even when he saw her drifting away to the land of dreams. The long journey was bothersome and tiring to her, she did not notice when she sailed to the land of Morpheus. He shook the radio receiver so he would not wake her up. He smoked the engine and left for a busy road. It was normal for cars to enter the city at this time. He smiled slightly as a familiar view of the palm trees on both sides of the road welcomed the angels who had arrived in the city. The view of sandy beaches and the ocean was an inseparable part of the views in this city. He was happy that he managed to arrange a life here, found friends and good friends who always supported him, and work was not just a privilege he had to go to every morning, but a passion he shared with others. He slipped his glasses down on his nose when the midday sun's rays dazzled him. He moved so well along the well-known way home, which will not be as empty as it was just a few weeks earlier. After a long journey, he entered the driveway of his property. He turned to Julia to wake her from the nap in which she fell, the open eyes of the teens looked at him with obvious surprise. He saw the shadow of anxiety in her bright gaze.  
— A beautiful Home — she said timidly, looking at the well-tended garden.  
— From now it is also your home — he took out the key from the ignition, going outside.  
Uncertainly, she opened the car door and followed in the footsteps of the vocalist who moved to the entrance. She stopped next to him as he opened the door, then let her pass inside.  
She crossed the threshold entering a light cream hall, dark panels reflected the lights of small lamps attached to the ceiling, she could say that everything was kept in warm colors which added the interior of cosiness. Unexpectedly, the sound of barking filled the room, and a dog appeared in the corridor, his yellow eyes expressing great joy at the return of his master, ran to the dark-haired one wagging his tail with delight.  
— Hi Anika, did you complain about me? — in response, the dog barked happily. Chester bent down, which she used, bouncing on the man — Anika! Get off me!  
The eighteen-year-old laughed quietly watching the joy of a pet as he licked his face.  
— Anika come down! — he scolded her, the dog reluctantly obeyed the command.  
— Help you? — the young girl approached him, reaching out to him. He accepted her help.  
— Usually it does not behave like that — he explained, tugging at the trousers of a pet's fur — She probably did not go out and walk a lot of energy — he went inside, followed his footsteps, looking around intently. When she crossed the threshold of the living room, she noticed a large—sized room kept in similar colors as the hallway. In the middle there was a sofa and two armchairs, in the center there was a small glass coffee table on which she could see a bowl of good sweets, a bright fluffy carpet lay by the fireplace, which warmed the house on cool evenings, with a large television hanging on it, a piano standing in the far corner of the room with a light texture, the seat was slightly inserted under the instrument. Through the big windows came the rays of the afternoon sun, minutes passed and the coveted evening approached the city, entering outside encouraged us to go out onto a wooden terrace and sit in the bright sun. She also noticed a bright staircase leading to the upper floor of the villa, they did not need lighting, because the windows let bright light into the apartment.  
— Sit down, I'll bring something to drink — the warm timbre of the voice ripped her from the depths of her mind, and she looked at the man who was walking away into the open kitchen with the intention of brewing tea. She obeyed his words and sat on one of the armchairs, then she noticed the bitch who followed her closely and watched her every move, carefully approached her sniffing her, clearly wanting to know whether she was a threat to her, she sent a friendly smile to the petter pulling him to him hand with the intention of patting, golden eyes watched her for a moment, but it did not take a minute and the dog eagerly approached her and allowed her to pet.  
— She liked you — She turned over her shoulder, hearing Chester's voice, holding two cups of warm tea in her hands — When you scratch her behind the ear, he'll like her even more — He set two glasses on the table and sat on the sofa.  
— I can be wrong, but it's a golden retriever breed?  
— You have a working eye so Anika is a golden retriever. He is already five years old, but he is with me for three — with the advice of the music, he stroked the dog behind his ears, which will cause her great joy.  
— How was she? — She asked, never taking her eyes off him.  
— A friend got a job outside the country, he knew that I live alone, so he asked if I would not take care of his dog, he could not take her with me and stay with me — he explained with a sip of a drink.  
— It's a little strange to me that the dog would live with people.  
— I can understand you, but Anika is so cheerful dog that you do not even notice that she will become a part of your life.  
She nodded slightly, watching as the bitch settled comfortably on the soft carpet by the fireplace.  
— It's her favorite place in the whole house — she found Bennington's look that continued – If it's still lit in the fireplace, you do not want to go anywhere! — he laughed at the end.  
There was a moment of awkward silence, interlacing only with the sounds of the city that came through the open window of the living room. Finally, the man broke the silence, rising from his seat.  
— Finish the tea and I will go for your things.  
— I'll help you!  
—I can handle it. Before anything could say, the musician left the room quickly.  
He did not leave her, grabbed a clear cup of warm substance, sipping her mouthful, a slightly bitter taste of dark tea was pleasant to her. Ever since she remembered she loved strong tea, everyone around her was surprised that she was drinking such a strong drink that almost equaled coffee, but tasted better than fruit. She took the last sip of Chester in the living room with her suitcase.  
— I have prepared a room for you, if you do not like it, you can change it — she got up from a comfortable chair, keeping up with him. They climbed the bright steps to the second floor, saw a few doors there, listened to Chester, who guided her around the floor. At last they reached the last door and he let her in. She saw the walls were decorated in caramel and blue colors, the room, despite the fact that the colors added space in itself was quite sizable, on a two-stage elevation, a bed of blue bedspread stood, concealed cream underneath, many pillows were spread over the headrest adding charm on both sides there were nightstands, the lamps on them illuminated the picture frames, which for the moment were empty, ready for her photograph to rest on them, a tall dresser stood nearby, on which she could see a vase with fresh flowers, as she could see was white roses she smiled at the sight of the plants that were one of her favorite flowers. Small scented candles were disconnected around the three picture frames, when she strained her eyes she noticed the slightly ajar door that led to the wardrobe, as she could have seen it in every room. When it came down from the platform opposite the bed there was a desk, a few things were arranged in a harmonious way what surprised her the most three devices she could have dreamed of, a white laptop imprinted with apple bitten took an honorary place nearby lay an IPad belonging to the same producer, everything closed the newest smartphone model, her brother also had the same, in the middle there was a table and two seats, which encouraged them to sit and do not go out, the balcony entrance was hidden behind the curtain that floated at each wind gust, the most protruding window lay several pillows in the colors of blue and cream, and a warm-folded down blanket. The small things that were arranged in different parts of the room added coziness, several paintings hung on the walls, she saw M. Shinoda's signature and name, she knew several of the artist's works, but she could boldly say that his art was more abstract, surprised by the beautiful the landscape of the city of angels hidden in the dark of the night, and the golden beaches and the waves of the clear ocean reflected on the banks. She could not take her eyes off these works, she was always interested in art and she admired many artists, she only met Shinoda's paintings a few months ago and she immediately noticed that his works were more fanciful, the paintings hung on the walls of her new room confirmed her belief that Michael he has a huge talent and does not stick to the points of knowledge he sets for art, he only experiments as he does with music.  
— Do you like them? — he asked, following her gaze, stopping at one of the rapper's works.  
— They are so beautiful!  
— I asked Mike to paint a few pictures, he agreed that he would gladly please you.  
— Thank him for me — she looked down at the image with reluctance and looked into her brother's eyes — I admired his paintings for several months, I always thought that she was painting more suralistically.  
— Yes, but not only in music, he likes to go beyond his horizons – he explained calmly — You thank him yourself, you will have the opportunity to meet him – his corner of the mouth gently lifted upwards — Do you like your new refuge?  
— Of course, it's almost perfect.  
— If you want, we can change something...  
— There's no need! — she gave him a slight smile — Everything is perfect!  
— I'm glad you like it — he went to the dark mahogany desk, grabbing the phone with his hands and sim card — I know that in the orphanage you did not have any phone, the number is reserved, but you can unsubscribe at any time.  
— I do not know very well about it, so I will rely on you — they sat on the chairs, watched her brother put a tiny card inside the device.  
— Within a few weeks, the phone or laptop will not hide secrets from you, you probably used older computer models, but they have the same action, you can not do without a phone, and access to the network — including a well-known phone menu put it down for a table — The most important thing you would feel good here is what I care about most.  
She did not answer his words, only gave him a refreshing smile.  
— Try to acclimatize, but does not promise anything.  
— I do not want to force you to anything. I care only for your happiness.  
— I am grateful to you for what you do for me. We do not know each other practically, and you...  
— The doubts that are luring us are normal, but I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity that was given to us, my family relations were not always good. He would like to change it, and above all I would like to be happy and feel safe here. From the moment of our first meeting, I thought a lot about you and if fate allowed us to be together, we must grab the bull by the horns. Everyone deserves a chance.  
— However, there are people who destroy our trust. I do not mean you — she hastened with explanations when the man opened his mouth to say something — Many times I came across people who only pretended to be my friends, the effects were sad, because breaking off my relationship, partly I owe it myself. I do not want to talk about it — she added feeling his gaze on myself — I hope that here in a new place I will be able to regain my lost faith in people.  
— I will try to help you as soon as I can!  
— Thank you Chester — she looked at him, in her bright eyes to notice something like trust, what he did not expect, he liked that he could not lose her loyalty and if he would be able to faith in the people he met, but he could not forget her was not wounded, she would not let anyone hurt her, he would not see the pain in that little brown girl he had fallen in love with.  
The next day, in the early hours, she was awakened by the rays of the morning sun, though she was by nature a lazy woman who liked to sleep longer, and got up with positive energy. She looked at the electronic watch standing on the bright cabinet, the numbers had settled down at eight o'clock in the morning. She closed her eyelids hearing the birds singing, sitting on the branches of trees, chirping a happy tune, even the sound of cars, he could not tear her out of the light of her reverie. However, she did not stay in this condition for a long time, she got up from a comfortable mattress, grabbed a few clothes in a change, and walked slowly to the bathroom. She pulled her shirt off at night and went into the shower, the cool stream of water gave her coolness after a fairly warm night, after a short bath, she came out wrapping herself with a soft towel, stood by the mirror and looked at her reflection. She saw in her still old self but a certain detail differed from her previous incarnation, she saw in her hopes. Faith for a better tomorrow. She knew that the scars that permanently imprinted on her psyche would remain with her, because they are inseparable elements of her, but she wanted to start again, as if it were the beginning of her life. The corner of her mouth gently rose upward as it crossed her mind that she now had someone to fight with herself every day, with what bothers or worries her. He will have the strength to put his demons. She broke away from her reverie, not wanting to go deeper into those areas and not get hurt. She leaned down wanting to find a hair dryer, she finally saw her lying on one of the cupboards, quickly she grazed her hair, feeling uncomfortable in this house, she was overwhelmed by thoughts that forbade her to feel good in this apartment. Bennington assured her that he could feel comfortable here and use whatever he wanted. She put on herself long denim fishermen and a shirt with a long sleeve, she regretted that she did not have any dresses, on such warm days, she turned her hair gently, revealing a program on a dryer that would allow it. She left the room after a few minutes, heading towards the stairs, looked into his brother's bedroom, the man still burned nicely, quietly left the room heading downstairs, when she crossed the threshold of the kitchen looked around, wondering what to prepare for breakfast, then remembered a recipe, on a chorizo omelette that she once knew on some page, but she could not remember the ingredients. Then her eyes rested on the tablet lying on the windowsill, she grabbed him and unlocked him, on the wallpaper she saw a photo of Chester and Mike as she could see during some trips, she saw the beautiful landscapes stretching behind them. She did not look any longer and turned on the browser and found the recipe for the omelette on the net. With difficulty, she found the products she needed. They do not want to sit alone, she turned on music apps and turned on the first song. Listening to Dave Gahan's voice, the words of the song hovered in the air:

And I’ve crossed the line again   
A line I drew in sand   
And still you give me everything   
But everything’s not enough 

I’m ready but not willing   
To give myself to you   
Sometimes 

Come on over lay down beside me   
And I’ll try   
Come on over lay down beside me   
And I’ll try   
And I’ll try

Barking the dog, spread around the kitchen and she felt someone familiar rubbing against her legs.  
— Anika quieter, you'll wake Chester! — she scolded the dog, who did not care about her words, just wagged his tail — You are hungry, I will give you something — she added to the pet wiping her hands in a dishcloth, found a dog food in one of the cupboards and poured her into the bowl, the girl patiently waited by her leg for your food — You can eat — she went back to cooking again, listening to the next song. she smiled when she recognized the timbre of Tim's voice of one of her favorite performers:

Tell me what i'm supposed to do  
With all these left over feelings of you  
Cause i don't know  
And tell me how i'm supposed to feel  
When all these nightmares become real  
Cause i don't know

And I don't think you see  
The places inside me that i find  
(together)  
And i dont know how we  
Seperate the lies here from the truth

And i dont know how we  
Woke up one day somehow thought we knew  
Exactly what we're supposed to do

— What smells — she looked over her shoulder, noticing the music.  
— Hi Chester — she returned to the dish to give her the final taste.  
— Hello, you're a little wounded bird — he said.  
— I can assure you that it is a one-off prank — she removed the pans from the plate.  
— What do you mean?  
— I like to sleep for a long time — she replied indifferently, imposing a solid portion on one of the plates.  
— What is that? It looks delicious.  
— Omelette with chorizo.  
— Spanish atmosphere.  
— Will we eat outside?  
— Of course — he grabbed plates from the dish from her, the teenager took out the apple juice from the fridge she had prepared earlier, and two glasses, walked through the living room, passed through the door, felt the warm breeze blowing, warming her face. She set the bell and glasses on the table, the separated umbrella gave a shade.  
— Are not you too warm in these pants? — He watched the blue-eyed carefully, who was slightly scared at the sound of his voice. Carefully looking at her, he looked at her dress, he knew that he should not interfere, but the long fish and shirt with longer sleeves on such a hot day was not the best idea.  
— I have nothing else — she admitted after a moment of embarrassment, dropping her eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed, afraid of this question, at first she thought she would not tell him the truth, but on the other hand he would finally know the truth.  
— What are you talking about?  
— Unfortunately, we did not receive too much allowance, it was enough for small expenses — she did not dare look him in the eye.  
— We have to change it!  
— But...  
— Please, do not resist, you have to buy a new wardrobe.  
— Ches...  
— JuliA, I know what I'm doing! — she buckled under his gaze.  
— You have done a lot for me, I will not...  
— I call my friend and after breakfast we go to the center to buy you clothes!  
— Listen to me for a moment... — but once again did not give her enough words. He grabbed the phone, dialing the number, walking away, heard his first words, addressed to the tenancy.  
— Hi Katline. You have time today...  
She sighed quietly, finishing the breakfast, settled herself comfortably in the chair sipping the juice and watching Anika running around the garden, chasing a squirrel. So much fun in such a small body.  
— Kate will be with us in half an hour — a singer appeared at the table — Do not contradict me, because I want you to look good.  
— I do not know if it's a good idea — she said uncertainly.  
— Good, Kate is my good friend, she will help you choose clothes and cosmetics. He will advise you more and help you in choosing than me — He took the last bite of breakfast. He had to openly admit that he was very tasty.  
The appointed minutes passed as in the fogs and the doorbell went through the whole apartment. She tried to get Chester away from this idea during those minutes, unfortunately the man was adamant and he stubbornly put his opinion on it. Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of music and a high-level dark-haired blonde with bright green eyes, she was wearing an airy pink dress with motifs of butterflies, she was holding on delicate straps. She wore sandals on her delicate heels, which gave her a few centimeters, which was a bit higher than her colleague. She put on a delicate make-up on such a hot day, bound her dark curls in braids, falling on her right shoulder. In her hand she was holding a purse and sunglasses.  
— Julia is Katline my good friend — he switched his sister to a friend — Kate is my sister Julia.  
The girls exchanged their hands exchanging warm smiles, Katline turned directly to her.  
— You did not say you had a sister.  
— A long story, I will tell you once — he quickly explained to the musician — We're going well now?  
She had no choice but to keep up with Katline, but she did not dare to speak to her. When they got into the car, they quickly found themselves in one of the shopping centers.  
— Chester, what funds do you allocate? — dark—haired looked at her colleague with a bright look.  
— We must fill her wardrobe without skipping cosmetics and other trinkets. I asked you for something — he turned to Julia, who once again wanted to resist.  
They went into one of the brand stores, an eight-year-old looked around embarrassed, seeing such a large assortment, looked at the price of the dress that caught her eye, scared her price, she immediately knew that she would have to work long enough to collect her.  
— Tell me, you like it, you walk in what you feel good about — despite your earlier anxiety, Kate was a nice person.  
— I like jackets with some dark pants and shirts with a nice print, but also some dresses or skirts.  
— We will definitely come up with something — she muttered, looking around the shelves. A few minutes later she heard her voice — Julia approached I found something perfect for you — she found her in a remote part of the shop, she had several sets of clothes in her arms.  
— What is going on? — Szatna dragged her to one of the dressing room and gave her the first set.  
— It's more rock-oriented — when she entered the tiny but cuddly wardrobe, she looked at the clothes Katline had given her. A dark T-shirt with a print, and a dark, dusty jacket, all complemented by dark jeans, holes on your knees only lasting grudges of the entire stylization. She put everything on top of her and looked at herself in the mirror, she must admit she looked pretty good, at least not as bad as in the previous outfit.  
— Julia, are you ready?  
— Yes — she unveiled the cloth curtain, showing herself in the new edition of her brother's friend. The man just came to her, he stopped next to the 25—year—old girl.  
— Definitely better — he commented, looking at his sister.  
— Hold — the girl gave her another set this time he had a tunic and leggings  
They spent the rest of the afternoon trying on new creations and choosing accessories that complemented her dress. Julia did not feel well knowing the price of clothes, the longer she argued with her brother, she lost more and more arguments, so the victory hall tilted to his side. Late in the afternoon, Chester departed from his companions, when he had to talk to someone, and used that fact, Katline chose her matching cosmetics. When she decided to make her the first make-up, she decided on her naturalness. She turned up the dark pencil, her eyes adding to the lengthening eyelashes of the mascara, cleverly covered the dark bruise under her eye, and on her lips she put on a matching lipstick. She looked in the mirror and saw in him a completely different person.  
— It's not me! — She said, looking at her reflection.  
— Baby, it's you, you look much better — woman laughed — You see how a few strokes of the pencil change a man — she watched her when she looked in the mirror — Listen to me, do not make too strong make-up, because it does not fit you, always put on naturalness, eyes are your greatest asset, do not cover them, not one boy will attract attention.  
— She is not planning a relationship yet — she turned to her — Thank you for your help.  
— Trifle, I'll always advise you just call me and go shopping again — she replied with cheerful ogens in her eyes — Put on the silent one — she pulled from her purse, which she had with her, airy dress and sandals, seeing her questioning look added — We'll see how your brother will react to you — she smiled charmingly at her.  
She followed her advice and went into one of the cabins, quickly dressed her new dress and put on her sandals after a while, Kate patiently waited for her. She approached her, the ginger woman pulled a small hairbrush out of her purse, gently brushed her hair, taking care not to unravel them.  
— You look beautiful — she muttered pleased with the effect of his day job — Now Chester should be glad that he has such a beautiful sister — she herself did not know what to say when she saw herself in a completely different version. She had the impression that she was looking at the strange girl, not herself.  
They found Bennington in one of the cafes where they had arranged earlier.  
— I miss words Julia — these were his first words when he saw the new face of an eighteen year old — You look lovely!  
— Thank you — the shadow of a smile blossomed on her lips, the first and really sincere smile.  
— I ordered you something good to eat, and this for you — gave them cardboard boxes, a pleasant smell of coffee with the addition of caramel hit their nostrils. She took a sip of the drink, enjoying her taste. After a while, they also received a dinner ordered by the musician. An hour later, they parted as they left the center, Katline had to return because she had arranged to meet her friends. Half an hour later they reached the apartment. They brought all purchases inside.  
— Unpack and I will go out with Anika for a walk because she has been sitting at home for a few days — he said putting the last net on the floor in his sister's room, and the dog ran around his legs demanding a walk.  
— Well. Chester — the man turned away when he left her bedroom — Thank you.  
— You have nothing to thank me for, just do me a favor and throw away your old clothes — she heard his cry  
— Good.


	7. TOM 1— REBEL : 06 —  A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW HOPE

She lay comfortably on a soft blanket in the shadow of a large oak tree, hiding from the morning sun. She rested her hands on her beard, looking at Anice, who was trying to catch up with the squirrel who cleverly escaped to her hollow in the tree bark, watched Chester's pet, which was clearly discouraged by the lack of interest in playing through the forest animals, podreptała to her and laid on the green grass, corner her lips gently twitched up as she felt the pet's soft fur under her fingers, she moved her hand away as the dog rested her head, closing her golden blinds, grabbed her notebook lying nearby, filled with many drawings or sketches, never ready to create something completely new as if she were afraid to paint full-length images. Ever since she remembered, she preferred to sit in the privacy of a room, grab a notebook in her hands that served her as a sketchbook and put her ideas on light paper on paper. The form of illustration to a certain extent gave her soul, in this way she wanted to express what she felt, whether her soul was hurt, whether she felt happiness, it was a form of her personal diary, contained in the drawings of heroes created by herself. No one had any idea about this notebook in a dark blue frame, where she hid her feelings for the world around her. She knew that her paintings were not perfect, but she was ready to learn new ways expressing her artistic soul. Absorbed in her new job, she did not see her brother, who returned to the apartment for a moment. The man, surprised by the lack of a teenager at home, went out into the garden bathed in the sunlight. The teenager was lying on a soft material, leaning over a dark notebook, holding a pencil in her hand, and another picture was created under her hand. He slowly approached her, sat on a bright blanket, an eighteen-year-old so busy with his painting, did not notice his presence. The face of a dark-haired wolf contained many secrets and at the same time anxiety and fear. He could not understand how to interpret this picture, he felt that he had a deeper message. Many years ago he learned that not only music interpreted in many ways, but also art, many times he saw Michael absorbed on another project of the painting, which he expressed to some extent his secret feelings, talked to him repeatedly, a friend always suggested that painting images allows him to enter deep into his soul and get to know her deeply. From that time on, he understood him more in terms of his rather incomprehensible sketches.  
— Did not you say anything that you draw?  
— I do not like to brag about it — she said, without taking her eyes off the drawings — It's nothing special, it draws in my spare time, and if time permits — she raised herself up on my elbows, crossed her legs and looked at her brother.  
— Can I see them? — He nodded to the notebook.  
— Of course — She grabbed the notebook, handing it over to Bennington.  
The musician flipped through a few pages of the notebook, watching his sister's drawings, had to admit that she had talent, her drawings were very impressive despite the small mistakes, the portraits of various personalities created by her or created on the basis of photos, the stars were admired, he found here no only a portrait of David, his longtime friend, but also artists he knew or had the pleasure to learn, a part of their work. His attention was caught by one of the portraits, he turned the notebook, noticing the deceptive likeness of his best friend, under it was the sixth day of December two thousand four, the day of her thirteenth birthday.  
He looked up, meeting her bright iris and a slightly shy smile.  
— Will you tell me what happened that day? — he asked, he saw a bit more bold joy, her joyful face, told him that it was a special day for her.  
— Nothing special — she answered evasively, looking away, but she could not hide the joy that suddenly filled her heart, reminding herself of one of the few days she did not feel fear, that anxiety pushed into the background that day.  
— Why do not you say? I see happiness in your eyes that I can rarely see in them, you smile at the very thought of an event. Why do not you want to reveal the secret that hides your heart?  
—Chester does not want you to think that I do not trust you, but the moments from that day are connected with you and how you could see with the rest of your team, it's a bit stupid to tell you about it, because that day I did not think that my non-existent dreams can become real.  
— Did you meet Linkin Park then? — her warm smile, was a clear answer for him, an earlier question. He was aware that the music he created together with his friends helped save lives, that they were faithful listeners, the songs helped to survive difficult obstacles in their path, they won because they had support in their music albums of which he was undoubtedly happy that somehow they save innocent people from making the biggest mistake in their lives.  
Will you tell me how you met us? He wondered, put the sketchbook aside, leaning against the trunk of the tree.  
— Are you curious? — she was surprised, stroking the golden retriever, who sat next to her legs, clearly thirsty for the closeness of man - You must have heard many such stories — she looked at Anica who pleased her actions, put her head on her knees and looked at her with her bright eyes.  
— Yes, but I am very curious about your adventure with strong sound — the few days he spent with her, he got to know her a little better, he discovered her musical taste, opinions about domestic matters or just their conversation went down on the sheet subjects that did not bring too much to their lives. However, she did not tell many things about her life in the orphanage, she always tried to cunning him, he could not resist the impression that she was afraid of something, but her fear was deeply imprinted on her psyche and she did not have the courage to reveal the secrets that she hides. He understood her behavior, he did not want to press on her in this matter, if he was ready, he would tell him everything that troubled her sore heart. They knew each other relatively briefly, they did not fully trust each other yet, but there was a strong towers between them, which had been interrupted at the very beginning, during the birth of his sister, could not let anything ruin their relationship again, he loved Julie and he was ready to give her life for her.  
— I got to the hospital then — ripped from the depths of my thoughts, looked at the girl who began her story, worried he wanted to speak when he heard her first words — I'll explain why I got there, but not today. I'm not ready for that — he nodded in a sign of understanding, letting finish his story — Lucy lay in the room where I was transferred, she got there after a serious car accident, at first I was not willing to talk to her, I rejected all forms of agreement. One day, we were alone in the room, Lucy asked her the day before, her parents would bring the CDs, her favorite band — she broke off at the mere memories, bitterness filled her heart, when the memories of the happy blonde in her father's arms filled her mind, moved away the incoming moments of sadness, refusing to allow himself to think about John and his shameful behavior, he will never accept that this man is her father, even though he does not appear in the papers anymore, he will have a vision in his head that he did not feel any paternal attachment to her, he ordered her to abandoning a non—existent thing, she suddenly felt Chester's warm hand clench on her hand, though she still did not like it willingly, someone touched her, did not withdraw her, only allowed herself a soothing embrace.  
– Do not think about him – he saw the deepening sadness in her blue eyes, he understood that her mind was flooded with a vision of their parent.  
— Lucy was your faithful fan from an early age — moved away gloomy thoughts, coming back to her story — In her family has always been attached to good music, that day she listened to one of your songs, the text to Numb got very memorable. The next day I asked her about the name of the fat and the title of the song, she was slightly surprised that I decided to speak to her, she told me what she knows. I remember we spent the whole evening listening to your songs. The nurses could not put us in bed — she laughed lightly at the memory of the plump woman who threatened to call the doctor when they were not under the covers.  
Lights giving a tiny sheaf of bright light illuminated the hospital bed of thirteen-year-old Lucy Halell, the girl, holding the diskmen in her hands, handed one of her headphones to her companion from the bed next to her.  
—Do you want to listen? — by pressing the play button — The song is called In the End — she started to translate — For many fans it is nothing but a hymn.  
— Hymn? She looked up, meeting the green irises of her friend.  
— Yes, this song means a lot to the listeners of this band. They treat it as an important element, you will understand my words when you want to get closer to their sound — she finished, knowing her questioning look.  
— Will you tell me something about this group? — listening to the rhythm of live music and the voice of the vocalist rhyming the next sentence of the verse, she noticed a smile on the lips of a fair-haired girl.  
— You really want? — she asked vivaciously.  
— I'm willing to listen to them — she admitted openly.  
Lucy was excited about the new fan of musicians, she began to talk about the group of 20—year—olds who began to conquer the music market.  
— They are not working on any album at the moment...  
— Did they hang up?  
— No — she honestly honest — They decided to take a short break, from what I heard recently, the label threatens to throw them out of the studio, I do not know exactly what's going on, everyone thinks about it, but the band did not give any information, only we know that we can expect their rapper's solo album in a few months...  
— Girls, do you know what time it is? – Her words were drowned out by a nurse who came into their room with an empty medicine tray.  
— No.  
— You should have been in bed for a long time! — she rebuked them.  
— But we're just talking — the blonde was defending — We're not disturbing anyone.  
— Well, give you ten minutes, I'll be back in a few minutes and you have to be both under your quilts and sleep well. We understood each other?  
— Yes — they said in unison.  
— What happened then? — Chester's question brought her to the ground — What happened to her?  
— I have no idea. My dear and Lucy departed as soon as I left the hospital. I did not want to look for her, but I am grateful that thanks to her I could meet you — her pale face brightened a wide smile. He saw very little of this warm joyful smile.  
Another sunny evening approached the city of angels, eighteen-year-old Julia sat on the soft carpet, watching another brother's defeat during the second leg of the game on the console.  
— Can you explain to me how you do it? – Asked slightly disgusted by another attempt to overtake his younger sister.  
— Of course it comes — she replied, shrugging her shoulders indifferently.  
— Naturally!? Four defeats from the government and you call it "comes naturally"!? — seeing his angry look, she laughed happily, closing her eyelids gently.  
– I can not help it, you're so bad at it — she said through laughter, bursting with more enthusiasm, satisfied with the loss of the young man.  
— I'm bad !?  
— Yes.  
— I win the game with almost everyone, and suddenly someone is better than me! I do not believe in this fate.  
— You have to accept Chester's defeat, I'm better! — she could see that some sarcastic remark would come to his lips, but he fought with himself to say nothing.  
— Okay, let's play one more time, if you lose, prepare dinner — he began enthusiastically.  
— If you fail, you stand by the kitchen today!  
The vocalist accepted her challenge, they looked up at the television screen, focusing their attention to avoid the enemy as soon as possible. Minutes passed and the victorious scale tilted to the side of the singer, Julia did not want to let her lose the bet, she did everything to pass him, at some point her brother's car turned over on the road, which allowed her to overtake him by the meters he could not catch up anymore, in the distance he saw black and white stripes ending the race.  
— I won! — she shouted happily, cross the finish line — You prepare the food — she turned to not very pleased with another brother's defeat.  
— I'm going to send you Brad! — he moaned, rising from the soft carpet, moving towards the kitchen.  
— Do not mix up with the third person — she followed him, sitting down on one of the bar sto ols — In total, what does he have to do that you can not play? — She asked in a slightly amused voice.  
— You were just lucky young, you did today, but do not be sure that I will give you a better time again.  
— That's how you threatened me, when you lost the second time, you must finally understand that you will not win the old man with me.  
— Old man!? I'm only twenty—eight, I do not feel old, young.  
— In her thirties at the back of her neck — she laughed delightfully.  
— I can mention the same thing about you, soon there will be no only girls at the beginning.  
— I do not even pay attention to it — she admitted openly, watching as an artist, pours into two cups of brewed tea — Apparently a man looks as much as he feels — she said casually.  
— All in all, I never thought about it — Chester turned to her, holding a plate of sandwiches.  
— We found a topic for conversations — Julia laughed, taking one of the sandwiches.  
— It's true, but sometimes you do not have to be serious all your life.  
— I have a similar opinion on this subject.  
He rejected the next insistent connection, threw the phone on the couch, walking restlessly around the large room. He could not understand her behavior, he was constantly tormented by these telephones and many unreadable messages cluttering his inbox. He wanted to close this chapter of his life, trying to make the past years of intimacy with her into oblivion, it was difficult as her threats more and more intensified each day more and more, he fell tired of one of the armchairs, listening once again that evening of quiet the melody of the incoming call. He curled up in the chair, closing his eyes, trying to clear his mind of all the mess he had in it. He leaned his head on his shoulders and did not notice how Morpheus slowly took him to his land, taking him to a place where he could not hear the disturbing phone.  
He woke unexpectedly when he heard the bell rushing around the apartment, opened his tired eyes, looking around the apartment, outside the window he saw the sun towering in the clear sky, he found the watch hanging on the wall, it was minutes after ten in the morning. He got up, winced when he felt his back ache, the call intensified, not caring about how he looked, went to the front door and created it. His best friend was standing on the threshold, obviously concerned about his condition.  
— Should not you be with Julia at the moment? — he said, moving into the kitchen.  
— Young is safe at Home — he explained — Why did not you answer the phone yesterday? He asked, carefully watching the brunet pouring juice into the glass — I was worried about you.  
— You do not need to bother.  
— Are you serious at the moment!? You do not quite think about it.  
— I have thought about it, you have my own problems on my head, I will not draw your mind to you — he replied, sitting down on one of the chairs — It does not matter anymore.  
— What are you talking about?! Mike, you are my friend, you know that you can trust me.  
— I know, but now your sister is more important for you. Understand, I can deal with my troubles alone.  
— We both know that you can not deal with them! Was she here again?  
— No!  
— Stop lying to me! – he lifted up, slightly softened when he saw his painful look — You know that we will help you together, because she is more and more dangerous, but you must tell us the whole truth.  
— Chester, thank you for your will, but I do not want you to take my experiences on your shoulders...  
— We all know the truth about her, you must finally forget about it.  
— I can not, you understand! She destroyed me for two years of our marriage, I can not forget what she did to me.  
— Mike calm down — gently put his hand on the friend's shoulder — I certainly will not let her, she entered your life — he added, looking deeply into his eyes — Understand, we care about you and we will not let it stay again it hurt you. Give me the phone — he finished.  
— For what?  
— Give! — reluctantly gave the phone to a friend who for a moment looked at the screen, setting something in it.  
— What are you doing?  
— It must end! He did not fully understand his words, but when he pulled out a tiny card from inside the phone, he understood what was going on around his head.  
— Have you lost?!  
— No, this is the high time to do it.  
— You've lost all my contacts there!  
— I know you're all in your notebook, so you will not lose them!  
He left his words without comment, only with bored eyes he watched his movements.  
— Go better, change and wash, because you do not look your best, then I am taking you to the city. There is no objection — he added, seeing that he wants to oppose him.


	8. TOM 1— REBEL : 07 — ANGEL IS HIDDES IN FRIENDSHIP

She sat comfortably on a soft sofa, the leather texture was nice in touch, she encouraged me to sit down, delving into memories of her mind, relax after a stressful day at work, or a daily chase through the school corridors. She pulled a warm blanket against her, lying on the back of the couch, covering her shoulders with warm material. Narrowed eyes and looked at the raindrops falling on the ground. Streaks of drops stained the windows, he could hear their heavy sounds falling on the window sills and the roofs of the buildings. It would seem strange, but she liked to look at the heavy clouds that would release fresh drops of water to the ground. She rested her head gently, on the sofa headrest with a sigh, dropping her gaze from the cloudy weather. Rainy days, like today, do not happen often in the city of angels. Residents accustomed to warm, hot days, in a gloomy aura, hid under the roofs of their homes, so as not to expose themselves to chill. The natives loved the sunny days that were almost everyday. They were not used to the olive clouds in such hot months.  
She sighed quietly when the sound of a huge roar ripped the air, another storm that hit the metropolis in recent days.  
She wearily watched Anike running into the living room, who was let loose from Chester, ran up to her and jumped onto the couch.  
— Anika, get off the couch! — She looked up at the man who had entered the living room. He pulled his soaked jacket off, hanging it on the back of a chair — I hate it — he grumbled, taking a glass of juice from the kitchen — They said nothing, it would rain, and a storm, what specialists work in this metrology — she laughed merrily , listening to his brother's complaints, he fell back on the couch, hearing her amused voice, looked at her, his lips gently rising.  
— What's so funny to you young? — he asked, poking her slightly to the side.  
— Nothing — she smiled wider — It's only been two days since the weather got worse, and you complain about it as if it were a week — she added with a small laugh.  
— You did not get rainstorm while walking with the dog.  
— True, but I can not find a job when you're gone — she said sourly.  
From the moment she arrived in Los Angeles, she lost contact with her friends, but she could not determine what it was like to be a real friend. She did not meet with them very often, she could boldly say that they did not become attached to each other, and their friendship was not lasting. She preferred to spend her free time on courses, sit in the comfort of the room and draw another picture. She could not say clearly whether it was true acquaintance. They met only a few times a month, talking on trivial topics, avoiding conversations on serious topics, or revealing the problems that caused them. She could boldly say she could not trust them, which seemed absurd, but the truth was painful. She did not trust them with her trust. She felt traumatic to people, she did not feel in their behavior a manifestation of concern or interest, it was a strange feeling for her, from which event she shook her faith in humanity. Something she did not know was changed. She was starting to trust, it was not easy, but she began to respect Bennington. She felt more and more boldly in his presence, she did not feel any creasing silence and awkward situations. She did not tell him about many things because of fear of rejection, but the man did not let her feel it. He tried to give her what she had missed for so many years. At last she could feel calm, be aware that she was safe, no one would appear in her room at night, she could no longer feel the threat. She understood what is meant by asylum. A peaceful and quiet place away from the demons of the past, without anxiety, fear or pain. She found her shelter.  
— Why did not you draw? — ripped from the depths of her memories, she glanced at the dark-haired one.  
— I can not find my notebook anywhere — she murmured with a slight precession in her voice — I've been looking for him everywhere in the apartment, searching the room. He fell into the ground — she said sadly — Did not you see him by accident?  
Chester laughed at her words, reached into one of the drawers in the dresser. He found a small notebook that he was looking for and waved before the eyes of the patchwork.  
— A notebook like that?  
— Yes — She pulled out her diary from his hand, throwing an angry look at his brother — Where was he?  
— In the studio.  
— Listen? — she was surprised at his words.  
— I said, he was in the recording room.  
— How was he there? — the question came from her lips, did not direct him to the musician, but in space, wondering how the diary, found himself in Chester's room.  
— I would like to know it myself — he replied, reaching for the pilot — I know you and I know that you do not part with this diary, so I was surprised by his view in the studio — quiet music filled the living room — Probably Anika tossed him tere — bitch raised her head when she heard her name, she looked at her siblings and fell back onto the carpet, lack of interest by the owners.  
— It is important that he found himself and he is not anything — she added, looking through the pages of the drawings, but did not notice any scratches or damage. She found a free piece of paper torn from the block at the end, reached for it, surprised at her view. She opened it. It was an unfinished portrait of her sketch a few weeks ago. She remembered the moment of breaking the sheet with the painting, irritated by the lack of a concept for its further creation. She decided to throw away the ugly painting that day, but the longer she looked at him she felt she was able to finish him, would gladly proceed to its continuation, but she did not want to create something today. She bent it in half and hid it in the pocket on the end pages of the notebook. The singer carefully followed her actions, painted fatigue in her blue eyes. He did not see her often in this condition. She sat covered with warm material, a dark notebook landed on the table with a lack of desire to create a small day of art. He knew that she felt a bit lonely, she had spent three weeks in Los Angeles and the only person she could talk to was he. She lacked company. But she did not say it directly, but he felt that he needed to speak to someone. He did not persuade her to meet someone on the street to make friends with him, it was incorrect thinking. Julia was quite a distrustful person, she was afraid someone would let her down, so she spent her free time in the apartment. He understood her fears, but he could not look at her sadness and lack of interest from others. He wanted her to know someone, but she knew that she might not be afraid of these people. He recalled today's conversation with friends:  
— You think it's a good idea? — worried face Michael appeared in front of the webcam — Chester, do not get me wrong, but she is still afraid, I do not think that this was the best option to get to know us.  
— Mike, I know what you mean by that, but I can not look any longer at how tired it is. He will not tell me this, but I see her lacking company. Soon I will return to the studio and the days will happen, that I will not be left all day away from home, I do not want her to stay alone, and only to Anica will she be able to speak. I know that I can trust you and it will be safe with you.  
— But will she give us a loan of trust? — said brunet with a storm of curls on his head.  
— I know Mike does not look at it optimistically, but I think it's a good idea. In the end, you care about her good.  
— Joe did not quite understand what I was going to say — the darker man said.  
— Calm down, we understand all your fears, Mike, but since Chester thinks Julia is ready for it, you must respect his request.  
— If you think so, I will understand your decision, but be aware that it may be a shock to her and that she may feel trapped — The rapper's words interrupted the conversation between the video conference members — Excuse me, I'm disconnected, I have to do some things — before anyone could stop him, his face disappeared from the webcam.  
— I think I will go better – said David, silent — I do not believe he has anything to do. Chester let me know if today's meeting will be up to date – after a while Michael left their conversation.  
— I'm worried about him — Brad said — It does not look good.  
— The past reminded him again — Robert's words caused a stream of thoughts and fear for the life of a friend — She destroyed him, her stigma affected his psyche. I am afraid for him — he added, not concealing his fear.  
— I know what you're talking about. I visited him last time, he was in a critical state — the sadness in his voice was palpable, regret that he had no idea how to bring back Michael's joy of life — I do not know what to do - he added helplessly.  
— We have to cut him off from the past.  
— I do not want to let it happen!  
— He's always asking for him.  
— I will destroy her as soon as she arrives, I do not care about the sentence or the consequences she took from us.  
— Chester is not impulsive. You do not want Julia to lose you.  
— I know, but I will not let him give up.  
— We understand you well, we will not allow it, and now go now, because I hear that your sister is looking for you.  
— See you later, I will let you know about today's meeting.  
He did not know if he was doing well, he had many fears, and the words of his closest friend had only frightened him, but he looked at the matter from a different point of view and decided it was time to change something in her life.  
— Julia, I would like to ask you something — a surprised seventeen—year—old looked at her brother, her bright gaze pierced him through her, feeling her intensity.  
— Speak — she smiled warmly.  
— I wanted to invite some friends.  
— You do not have to ask me about such things — the joy on her lips was, more and more often, of which he was incredibly proud that the eighteen year old was not depressed, she could smile and enjoy joy and satisfaction with small things.  
— I want you to meet them.  
— Is it good idea? — suddenly her cheeks went white, anxiety entered her gaze, which she tried to avoid.  
— I think that perfect, you'll love them.  
— I did not mean Chester — she stopped to take a breath — I do not want to interfere between you and your friends.  
— I think, however, that this is a good idea. They want to meet you — assured her, seeing the lack of conviction on her part. He reached for the photo lying on the dresser. Picture framed in a bright frame. He gave her a photo of six musicians. She picked up the item from him and looked at the fat men, the tattooed black-haired girl put his arms around the crouched brunet, the four others stood behind them with joyful expressions. She had never seen this photo, but she understood at once that it was one of their private photographs. The corner of her mouth gently moved up when she saw a Korean man hanging on the neck of a tall brunette. They looked happy, as if the concerns of the surrounding world did not concern them. She was not convinced of his words, but she did not want to hurt him. She also wanted to meet these overjoyed men who were part of her brother's life.  
— Invite them — she said after a long moment, giving him a souvenir in the form of a photo.  
– You want it?  
– Yes, I think - she replied, with a note of uncertainty in her voice – Let me know them.  
—I've never seen you so brave — he praised, and she gave him an uncertain smile. He pulled the phone out of his pocket, unlocked the screen, noticing the missed call. He dialed his number, put the receiver in his ear, then he heard the sound of the waiting call, did not wait long for the answer, when Dave's voice sounded on the other side.  
— Hi Phoenix.  
— Hey Chazz.  
— Sorry, I did not answer the phone, only now I saw that you called — he rose reluctantly from the couch, moving towards the kitchen. He did not want Julia to hear his worry, he'd rather save her, because she had too many problems in her short life, hearing his uncertain voice, surely she would ask him because of his dilemmas.  
— I'm coming back from Michael.  
— How is he?  
Silence on his part was a clear answer to his question. He did not expect something to change, he hoped that the condition of brunet was a bit better.  
— It's still in a bad condition, I'm worried that if his condition does not get better, it can become a tragedy.  
— Do not even say that! — his slightly raised voice lured a slightly worried teenager into the room. He smiled encouragingly at her, the girl looked at him suspiciously for a moment, resigned to the living room.  
— We have to do something about Chester. He will finish us off.  
— I know, but I do not have any ideas anymore — he said resignedly.  
— Maybe it's a bit of an irrational idea and it will seem rather incorrect to you, but maybe let him meet Julie.  
— What!?  
— I know, it seems absurd to you, but it can help.  
— I do not know if it's a good idea, Dave.  
— You do not have to accept my thought, I do not know how to help him anymore — he sighed quietly, stopping at a red light, it was slightly dangerous, talking on the phone, driving the vehicle, however, the easiest way to talk was while talking.  
— We will meet and think about it, but in another matter it rings for you — he said, hands on the kitchen cupboard, looking at the spirited rain that drummed against the windows — Julia agreed to meet you. Could you come in an hour?  
— Of course. I will be on time.  
— Thank you. I'm calling you to the rest.  
— I'll tell Joe about the meeting because I'm going to him.  
— Well. See you later.  
— Hi — he closed his eyelids and sighed quietly, worried him deepening anxiety about Michael, he tried to find a solution to his multiplication problems, but he could not do anything until he helped himself to rise from the ground, take a helping hand that would help him get out from this swamp. With a sigh, he dialed Shinoda's number and put the phone to his ear. I am waiting impatiently, and my heart scare the fear when he hears the fifth signal waiting for the phone, after long uncertain minutes he heard his tired and slightly sleepy voice.  
— Chester, let me sleep! — He laughed lightly at his resentful words. Everyone knew him well, they knew how much he was irritated when he unexpectedly wakes him from a peaceful sleep.  
— Sorry, old man, I interrupted you with such a beautiful dream.  
— Good dream? I will show you a great dream as soon as we meet! He marbled an angry voice.  
—Calm down, I'll let you sleep further, but in an hour I see you at my place.  
— Why do you want to see me? Can I know why? — he covered his face in the down of pillows, happily returning to the land of eternal dreams.  
— It's about Julie.  
— She decided to meet this band of crazy people?  
— I remind you that he belongs to them.  
— I'll be fine, but now let me go to sleep — Before he could react, he hung up, dropping the phone to the other side of the bed.  
He looked up when he heard footsteps, smiled when he saw Julie.  
— Who shouted like that? — She asked, astonished by the noise coming from the kitchen.  
— Mike, you do not wake up much as you do not have something important to say! — He replied with a slight amusement.  
— He raised his voice !? I thought you were the one who was tearing around — he laughed at her words. She shook her head in disbelief and returned to the living room. He called the rest of the crowd, everyone assured that they would arrive on time.  
The hour to the appointed meeting passed unexpectedly quickly. She glanced fearfully at her watch, which measured the appointed appointment. She was afraid of this conversation, she tried to be of good thoughts. She shared her doubts with Chester, he assured her, however, that she had no fear of fear. Even if she will, she would like to interrupt this conversation, they will not be sorry for her. Unexpectedly, a quiet doorbell sounded through the apartment. The siblings looked at each other, moved slowly down the corridor.  
— Ready? — She nodded slightly.  
The man pressed the latch, letting the visitor come. At the threshold of the door stood a tall brunette in a slightly soaked jacket. He pulled off the hood of his sweatshirts, allowing him to look closely at him. She could easily say that he looked just as good as the pictures she saw on the net. Long strands of hair brushed back, which gave him charm, she noticed his dark irises, which looked at her with curiosity. A few days' stubble added charm to him and he took away his years. He put on a looser outfit today, he replaced his plaid shirts with a loose T-shirt, threw his hooded sweatshirt over his shoulders, dark denim pants were perfectly fitted to the dark blouse. The corner of her mouth gently rose upward, which she could not hide. It did not escape Michael's attention, who gave her a slight smile.  
— Hello to you — he said, entering the warm room — Cold — he murmured, pulling off his leather jacket.  
Torn out of her thoughts, she quickened her pace to catch up with the musicians disappearing in the living room.  
— Julia is my best friend Michael — the musician pulled her hand to her, embraced her, saw in her gaze a shadow of joy that eclipsed his depressed face.  
— You can talk to me, Mike — he gave her a cheerful smile, the corner of her mouth twitching up as she saw his shadow of joy, which she often saw in the photographs, his dark gaze expressing much enthusiasm and cheerfulness.  
— Good — she laughed a bit nervously, a little anxious over her heart, but not because she had the pleasure of meeting her favorite musician, but because she was afraid of his reaction, what she would think about her.  
— Mike, do you drink something? — Chester interrupted the awkward silence, addressing his friend.  
— Coffee.  
— Julia, do I have to bring anything to you?  
— No, thanks — she said, shaking her head gently.  
She sat on the edge of the sofa without taking her eyes from the dark—haired girl.  
— I'm glad I can finally get to know you — Shinoda took up the topic to entertain her conversation, he saw the slight fear in her blue irises that caught his attention, seemed to have the power that would drown in the ocean-clear look. Immediately he could see that the seventeen—year—old is deceptively similar to his brother, the same shade of hair that she had put on the French pony, the brightness of the skin took on a more vivid color, the blue airy dress wrapped her body, held on two straps, a delicate necklace hung on her She would wear only high—heeled sandals to her feet, if not for a few conversations with Chester about her, he would say that this young girl in December would be of adulthood, she seemed older, but did not lose her youthful beauty, only added to her subtlety and gentleness.  
– Chester told me so much about you – he said cheerfully, but he tried not to be intrusive, he did not want her to feel resentful after the first meeting.  
— Thank you — she said a bit more boldly — I do not hide that I heard a lot about you from his story too.  
— Nice to hear — there was an awkward silence, and she had no idea how to stop her, she also saw from her interlocutor that she did not know how to break the first ice cream and entertain her with a conversation. The longer she looked at the man, she began to understand that something is bothering him, but he tries not to show it, bury it inside his mind so that it does not get into his subconscious. He tried to properly play his role, replace anxiety, a mask of joy, but he was not a talented actor. But she did not need it, she saw in his gaze the pain which gave way to false joy. She knew well how hard it was to hide demons inside herself, and she was not at all surprised that Michael was doing everything not to show his doubts about the world. The awkward silence interrupted Chester, who appeared with two cups of coffee and a glass of orange juice.  
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, he apologized to the door to let the arriving musicians.  
— I'd like to thank you — Julia said uncertainly, moving her gaze to Michael, who was drinking coffee.  
— For what? — he was surprised, putting the cup on the table.  
— They are really great for your paintings — she explained, noting bright gleams in his eyes.  
— Chester told you that they are my authorship? — He asked, wanting to confirm his conviction.  
— Yes. Earlier, however, I had the pleasure to see some of your work and have been my inspiration several times.  
— Do you like art? — he revived, hearing the words of appreciation from the mouth of a high school student.  
— Of course — she replied cheerfully — A few months ago I found your paintings on websites and I really have a great respect for these paintings.  
— Thank you, nice to hear such flattering words — he laughed lightly.  
— Forgive me that I am interrupting you with such a cheerful conversation, but someone wants to get to know you – They glanced toward their friend's voice, saw the cheerfully smiling men behind his shoulder – You will have another chance to talk — She stood up, walking to her brother. – – Julia, let me introduce you our sheep, Brad — she laughed at Chester's words, felt his friend's furious look on him, but he did not care for his anger — Dave, Phoenix—he pointed to the red-haired musician who was standing by Delson's side — The one who is hiding behind Brad's shoulder is Joe – She looked at the Korean man hidden in the shadows.  
— Mr. Hahn — she said timidly with a slight smile.  
—I like you anymore — said Joseph, squeezing through his friends to get to know a new acquaintance.  
— And as you always did, you squeezed me in the end — he said before the singer could speak, but he did not feel the regret in his applause.  
— Nice to meet you. Call me Rob — the drummer shook her hand harder, which she accepted with fear, but she did not allow herself to remove the mask she took.  
— Do not be close to the girl — Dave said, silent until now, giving a sideways swing to Bourdon, sending a warm smile to his companion.  
– I'm not intrusive at all – he said indignantly, taking the seat next to Julia, who sat on the couch where Shinoda was already pounding a dark drink.  
— Maybe we will ask her opinion — when she heard the conversation between the musicians, she laughed quietly, which did not escape their attention.  
— By the way, maybe you'll get after this pretty awakening — added Louis, looking towards his amused sister.  
— They did not argue for a few days, so it's only natural that they are bitching each other —Mike explained quietly, seeing the slightly questioning look on the other members of the band.  
— Should I be afraid? — she looked in his direction, he only shook his head.  
— There's no reason.  
—Tell us something about yourself, though — he rang as the last conversation died away.  
— Chazz talked a bit about you, but we want to get to know you better — Brad said.  
— I'm not so sure — she was afraid to tell them a bit more, she did not know them much, only from posters, she tried to push her fears into the background, but they still filled her sore heart.  
— There must be something that interests you, interesting or do you like — Delson insisted while looking at her with his dark irises.  
— Many things are interesting to me, but is it a topic for conversation? — Chester watched his sister's behavior with great attention, he was afraid that at any moment he unexpectedly interrupted the conversation and hidden in the room, but he tried not to think about it. He watched as Mike persuaded her to tell her a bit more about herself, clearly his words had resulted, because she began to talk about his passions uncertainly.  
— Two years ago I was learning Japanese, but I gave up after a few lessons.  
— Why did you quit?  
— Science came to me with difficulty, I was wrong in the basic signs of Kenji.  
— Japanese language is difficult to learn and I am not surprised at all that you gave up learning — said Shinoda — Sam had difficulties with him, so I can understand you.  
— I prefer Spanish — she said after a moment.  
— You learn?  
— Yes, for several years, I'm at an advanced level, but after moving, I had to give up my lesson.  
— Why did not you say you want to sign up for a language school?  
— I did not want to...  
— I've explained to you, money is not a problem. Tomorrow we'll go to a nearby school and save you. It has a great reputation.  
— But...  
— Julia, I want to grow, I understand it and help you. If you say so well, it is not worth wasting it, just as you should not give up drawing – Julia's doubts were correct, but totally unnecessary. He promised himself that he would not miss anything and he would do everything to make her feel happy, if she wanted to develop, he wanted to make it easier for her. She needed time and could understand it, but he did not want to give up on what he loved because he was ashamed to tell him about it.  
— Are you painting? — words spoken by the singer clearly enlivened Mike, who looked at her interlocutor, glad that not only art is interested in her and she creates small paintings.  
— Yes, but only sketches.  
— I've seen her drawings and they're really great — The words of flattery flowed from the lips of the patron.  
— You'll have to show them to me one day.  
— I'd rather not show them.  
— I do not pressure you in any way, if you want I will be happy to see them. I know how important it is to appreciate someone's efforts so I will be happy to see them.  
— Well, but not today — hearing words full of compliments from the music could not get out of bewilderment, in the depths of her counting on someone's professional eye would be advised to set errors, what to work on, and now could count on it for the artist, whom she honestly admired.  
Their conversation dragged on and Julia felt less and less embarrassed in their presence, she talked boldly with them, she could confidently say that somehow there was a thread of understanding between them. The musicians left their apartment a few hours later.  
— How was it? — asked Louis, as they sat in the dining room.  
— Pretty cool — she said sincerely, sipping her dark tea.  
— They liked you.  
— How do you know that? — she looked up at him and he hurried with explanations.  
— I saw it, Dave usually sits quietly if he does not like it. Brad is a talker, so he can talk for hours and he does not get bored — they laughed softly — And Mike started to smile — he could still see the joyful expression of his eyes, in no way lying, when he talked to his sister, what he enjoyed so much .  
— Something is happening to him?  
— I do not want to worry you, baby, time will come, maybe he can tell you what's happening, but he needs to get to know you first. He's not too trusting lately — she nodded.  
She did not probe the subject of his friend's well–being, she was not a curious person and she did not want to be intrusive herself. They finished dinners in a quiet atmosphere. Julia, tired of her experiences from the whole day, went to bed earlier.  
He remained alone, put away the dishwasher dishes, and looked at his watch. It was midnight, he only took the phone from the kitchen annex and climbed up the bright stairs. Before he went into his bedroom, he wanted to look at his sister or sleep peacefully. He opened the door quietly, entering her bedroom, there was an impeccable order, everything was in place. He got to know Julie a bit and he knew that he did not like unnecessary disorder around her, she liked how everything took its place. Seeing that the teenager was sleeping deep in sleep, he wanted to leave, but something made him stop. Worried, he turned to her. A scream of pain broke the reigning silence. He walked quickly to him, sat down on the edge of the mattress. Suffering enveloped her face, he saw the desperate clench of strong eyelids and salt drops of tears escaped from her closed eyes, she caught the material of the blanket into the fists. She fought, she fought battles with her nightmares. He could not watch the next demons take control over her, he did not want her to suffer. Gently, he put his hand on her shoulders.  
— Julia, Julia wake up — his requests did not work — Julia wake up — gently shook her shoulder, which scared the teenager, but opened her frightened eyes, suppressed a growing cry in her chest, when she saw around her cruel tentacles, which were dangerously approaching their touch on themselves. As if she could see Chester's face saying something to her, but she was afraid to speak, she was afraid to move, she was afraid to breathe.  
— Look at me, Julia — she heard the man's voice clearly.  
— I do not want to — she murmured in a low voice, her words practically inaudible.  
— Please, speak to me!  
The tears falling on her cheeks were like a blow to her heart. She did not want anyone to see her pain, she did not want to show her weakness. She could not fear fear her flaccid body.  
— Take them from me — she anxiously looked at what surrounds her, how they are moving away and approaching her, mocking her, mocking her mind, laughing at her in the face destroying a substitute of good that was in her, not she knew what to do she felt destroyed by them. Suddenly she felt the touch and strong arms that surrounded her. The voice of her brother was clearly reaching her subconscious, who almost like a father wants to calm his child. His gentle voice allowed him to return to the living. She saw the demons coming out as she put her cheek against his chest, closed her eyelids as the ghosts slipped into the dark abyss. She was afraid of such nights, they were an inseparable part of her, always on such days she wanted someone close, that someone would hug her, do not ask what happened, only stay with her and allow her to fall into a restless sleep, embracing him in the waist not wanting him to let her out of a secure grip. She did not have to say anything to let him know that she wanted her to stay with her that night. He laid it on a soft mattress, covering it with a warm blanket, not letting the next specters hit her mind.


	9. TOM 1— REBEL : 08 — LET ME SHOW WHAT TRUST IS

She looked at her reflection in the sheet of a translucent mirror, correcting the unruly strand of hair that fell on her slightly tanned cheek. Smiling slightly, noticing in a reflection a completely changed teenager. She saw change in herself and did not look at her appearance, but about her well-being, which in the last events in her life improved a little. Her brother's observations were correct when he told her that he wanted to see the smile on her lips more often. She was happy not only in her eyes, but also in her heart. She was afraid of moving to a new city, but it was natural, her fears were more in relation to Chester, she did not know him, she felt a kind of fear against him, her thoughts often went through a vision that her nightmare would be repeated from the orphanage. but he did not give it, reject it. Nothing that could be afraid of. The fear she felt was unfounded and incorrect, but understandable by the man. She spent a lot of time with him, in which they could make up for lost years of their youth, talked a lot about their past, but she could not open enough to him and reveal the secrets that troubled her sore heart. However, she did not feel pressure from him, he was a patient listener and she knew that he would wait for her until she was ready to reveal the secrets of her youth.  
They enjoyed a lot of fun, there were moments when they started to tease during the conversation, then they ran around the house, almost like little children trying to compensate for the bills of recent quarrels. They treated it as fun and did not feel anger at each other for the recent verbal scuffle.  
Her fears at her first knowledge of Chester's friends were right, but they quickly disappeared when she got to know them a little closer, she could talk, without feeling embarrassed, she was happy in their company. She realized that video recordings do not show the whole truth. Yes, there was no hypocrisy in them, they did not pretend to be someone other than they were in reality. They did not show them in private terms. She also found in them somewhat cheerful men who liked to make jokes, but were able to keep serious. They only fooled around their relatives or friends. They spent a lot of time together, getting to know each other a little more, but spent many moments in the presence of Michael, who was their frequent visitor. She had the impression that by her side he forgot about problems or troubles in his life, he could somehow forget about them, for the time of meeting without thinking about the unpleasant past and the dramatic moments in his life.  
She put a floppy lock of curly curls behind her ear. She grabbed the phone lying on the cupboard and walked slowly to the room. She did not want to spend the next day at home. She wanted to use the absence of a young man and spend the day in the city. The rays of the bright sun broke through the huge windows, casting their glow on the bright panels of the room. They returned to the city, again hot days and the residents successfully used this fact, spending days on the beach, resting or bathing in the warm ocean. She reached for a bright denim jacket, putting it on her shoulders, unexpectedly the sound of a quiet melody spread out. Taken aback, she looked at her watch, the backlit figures indicating a few minutes past eight. She did not expect any guests today, the more she was surprised by the unexpected visit. Putting her purse on the dresser, leaving the room, she went down the bright stairs trying to understand who could visit her. All questions were dispelled when she opened the door and she saw a tall brunette on the threshold, he smiled warmly, noticing her a bright look.  
— Hi Mike, what are you doing here? — She let him in the door, letting her in.  
— Actually, I've come with a suggestion — he explained calmly as they sat in the living room, sipped a sip of juice that the friend told him, looking at him — You've lived in Los Angeles for a few weeks, and you probably have not met the city yet.  
— You know this quite a funny situation — noticing his questioning gaze, hastened with explanation — I was just going to the city, I was planning to buy a guide and visit a few places.  
— I understand — he nodded slightly. He did not intend to impose it — In that case, I will come another time.  
— Wait — she grabbed his wrist, clenching his hand, not letting him go — Maybe you show me a city, you live here longer than me, I could use a guide — the corner of her mouth gently lifted up, letting the musician forget about his fears.  
— Are you sure? — He dropped into place and looked anxiously into her eyes.  
— Of course — she assured him, sending him a refreshing smile – You know, I'm a person who gets a bit lost in a new environment... — A slight smile softened a bit, lowered her eyes, she did not like to admit her small failures.  
— You have nothing to worry about, I will help you — full of hope she looked at the dark-haired guy — I know some interesting places that are off tourist routes, if you want, I could show them to you.  
— Happy.  
— Okay, I advise you to take comfortable shoes — she laughed at his words as she climbed the stairs.  
— I remember — she shouted back, disappearing from his eyes.  
He had to admit openly that he liked her more and more. In the presence of this inconspicuous eighteen-year-old, he could finally forget about the disturbing moments of life, troubles that made him calmly sit down and think, with her I would be able to feel free man for a moment without the worries of the world around him, unjust accusations or more and more disturbing letters or phones. He had no idea how to sort out difficult life paths, the only thing that felt the chaos in his mind, but for the time of meetings with a high school student, worries like escaping, cease to exist. The silent patter of feet wrenched him from his deep reverie, he looked up, meeting the ocean-like look of a slinker.  
— Can we go now? — he got up from the sofa, not allowing himself to show conflicting emotions.  
— Yes — they left the apartment, stopped on the sidewalk, and Julia looked at the musician who was clearly thinking of where he could take her, after a moment's thought he started down the road, heading for the mountains of Lee.  
— Where are we going? — she asked him, taking the sunglasses out of her purse.  
— At the moment I will not be a bit original — he began his story, looking at her with a cat's eye — I'm taking you to Hollywood Sign.  
— A synonym of the film industry.  
— Exactly.  
— I do not think there is a person who would not know this famous inscription, but seeing it with his own eyes is an unusual event.  
— When you visit Los Angeles, it is the basis for the buildings to visit.  
— Along with the Walk of Fame — they looked at each other, bursting into a small laugh.  
— I have to admit Julio's reasons.  
After long minutes of the road they finally got to the southern mountainside, where for almost eighty-five years stood the famous Hollywood sign, attracted many tourists from around the world, but also the country, unfortunately despite the excellent reputation, there were acts of vandalism, but also the life of a bead actress Peg Entwistle was brutally interrupted. Julia listened carefully to the story of Michael, who brought her closer to the stories of the British actress. Millicent was an aspiring actress who did not play in many films, but her face was present in the film "Thirteen Women", nothing indicated that this young woman had alcohol problems. According to the story, a 24-year-old Briton jumped from the letter H, her body was found by a random woman who wandered, below the inscription she came across a purse in which she found a farewell letter and in the ravine the body of Entwistle. A cruel death that interrupted the life of this young girl. She shuddered, realizing how young she was, she could not imagine it.  
— You see in spite of such good recognition, not many people know about this dark side. The famous sign attracts many tourists, but not many people know that this crime has happened, even the inhabitants of the county either do not remember this story or do not want to know about it – he said as they descended the slope.  
— I can not even imagine it, she took her life in a cruel way — she murmured, slightly terrified.  
— Okay, better I will not talk to you about similar things, because I see that it's not pleasant for you, and I do not want you to be sad — he gave her a refreshing smile.  
— Thank you.  
They returned to their designated trail. The next point of their journey was Aleja Sław, a footpath based on Hollywood Boulevard, passing through Vine Street, they saw many tourists who took pictures of their favorite stars, but she did not feel like having a souvenir from this place, it seemed to be a bit tedious to her.  
— I could, why do not you have a star here? — she joked as they passed the street, she looked at Shinode, who laughed at her words — I do not have how to take a picture — she added with reproach, giving him an angry look, however, a gentle smile that appeared on her lips team lofty atmosphere.  
— I do not think that one day I will get it — he said equally amused – I would have to deserve it, but ordinary musicians do not reward me. I do not care about that – he added, shrugging gently.  
— You're kidding me right now? — She looked at him, moved uneasily under the fire of her eyes.  
— I would not dare do that.  
— I have to disagree with your words because you deserve a lot of good.  
— What do you mean and where do you have this knowledge?  
— You know that I know you not only as an artist, but also music — they approached one of the benches, sat in the shadow of a large building, to draw some air for further journey — I'm listening to your songs. I know Linkin Park — she finished, explaining her earlier words.  
— Why did not you say anything? — he looked at her surprised and astonished at the same time. It did not bother him that Julia knew the work of their band, but words of admiration astounded him, he did not think they could be such a great authority for someone. Yes, he met with many fans, he knew with the rest how music works on their faithful listeners, but he would never have thought that his younger sister could have shared them and despite meeting with his favorite did not show that she only recognized them patiently , she waited for Chester to introduce her to his friend.  
— There is nothing to brag about Mike — her answer woke him from a light reverie — Maybe I am your fan, I know your work and you as musicians, but for me you are normal people who rushed for their dreams and you managed to spend their desires from youth. You and me are a huge authority with me, because I have succeeded in this too, I want to fulfill my secret dreams.  
— Will you tell me something about them?  
— Maybe another time — she answered, noticing a group of young people who were wandering the Walk of Fame sidewalk.  
— If you think so, he'll respect your decision — Mike fulfilled his promise, led her to many known places, but also did not break his word about showing some interesting places, which not many people knew. Absorbed in the metropolis and long hours of talks, they did not pay attention to missed calls on their phones. Despite the protests of the teenager, the musician took her to dinner at the restaurant, when they got hungry after many hours of walking through the streets. At the end of the day, they finished their trip, joined a small cafe where, according to Shinoda, they serve one of the best ice cream in the city. When they ordered a sweet, cool dessert, Julia was convinced by the words, but after tasting a little of sweets, she had to admit to him, the bowl of cold vanilla ice cream with fresh fruit was one of the better ones she ate. However, she felt foolishly aware that the musician would not let her pay for her pleasures, he explained to her that it was a trifle and, as she jokingly determined, she would not be deprived of it, but the guilty feeling tormented her. When she came back again, to this conversation and her doubts, he would not let her say anything, assuring her that it was a pleasure and a small thing for him.  
— The best I left was at the end — he said as they walked slowly to the beach at Santa Monica without a hurry. When her feet touched the golden sand, she pulled off her bright sneakers, letting herself walk bare feet over the warm grains. When they walked along the sea and the waves of warm water somewhat wrapped their feet around him, the man said unexpectedly:  
— I love this place — he began in a somewhat dreamy voice as they walked along the beach and the warm water wrapped around their feet — I could spend many hours here and I would not feel bored.  
Julia looked at him in amazement, noticing her gaze, laughed, adding:  
— Not only girls like sunsets on the beach.  
— That's not what I meant — she said — I'm just surprised, because you do not look like a man who enjoys the sights drawn out of some romance.  
— That's true — the brunet laughed — But the ocean has always calmed me down from the ocean — he suddenly grabbed her wrist, he quickened his pace.  
— Where are you going? — she kept her pace.  
— I will show you a place — he explained only, did not ask him for more, but let her lead through already deserted beaches. In the end, she could see the cliffs at the small distance that stretched along the sea, the place was a bit distant from the main beach, so you could not see many residents or tourists strolling on the shore of the ocean. When they reached the rocks, at Michael's command she put on her shoes, and he helped her climb the stone cliffs, they passed a piece where you could hear the waves crashing against the stones. They sat on one of the stones and looked at the golden shield of the setting sun reflected in the surface of the restless ocean. Warm orange rays slowly hid behind the horizon, letting the night slowly envelop the city with its purple glow.  
— Beautiful here — she muttered in a low voice, delighted with the amazing view of this charming place.  
— I felt that you might like this place — he said after a long silence — Nobody knows about this place, I come here often to think or to be alone.  
— I did not think that such a place can be found in the city.  
— I spent many nights while walking around the city, I came across this place when I had to relax after a hard day in the studio and I did not feel like going back home — he grimaced at the mere mention of the events of that evening. He did not want to talk too much to Julia, which was the reason he found this place one evening. He did not want her to feel prejudiced against him, or somehow she stopped meeting him. Memories of those moments still tormented his mind, but he tried to erase those moments from memory. He closed his eyes and his mind, as if he wanted to play with him again, saw with the eyes of the imagination a false eye in the eyes, a mocking smile of lips full of hatred for him.  
— Mike, are you all right? — He opened his eyes, feeling a gentle touch on his shoulder.  
He raised his eyes, meeting her eyes, her eyes filled with sadness mixed with worry.  
— Good — He pushed aside the unpleasant thoughts, focusing his attention on his companion.  
– If you want to come here, you can come here at any moment, I only have one request.  
— Of course.  
— Keep this corner secret, please do not tell anyone about it.  
— You can be calm, no one will know about him — she assured him, sending him a happy smile. He got up from the rather comfortable bench and looked at the eighteen—year—old who followed his lead.  
They spent a few more minutes here, enjoying the view of the already disappearing sun. The stars brightened the sky as they came back a bit deserted streets. After long minutes of the road, they stood on the porch of Bennington's apartment.  
— Thank you for this day — she said a bit more boldly interrupting the pleasant silence that prevailed.  
— Trifle, I'm always helpful — he gave her a warm smile.  
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the moving curtain, noticing her brother who was watching for a long moment, looked up, smiling slightly.  
— I will be splashed — she murmured amused.  
— You have nothing to fear, I will explain everything to him when I meet him tomorrow in the studio — he went unnoticed with the eyes of a 17—year—old girl.  
— I am grateful that you devoted your time to me, come on, you could do something completely different  
— I preferred to break out of the four walls, I could not sit and think anymore, because it tires me, and I could get to know you better — she laughed softly, amused by his words.  
— Thank you again for your company.  
— You do not have to thank me Julio I told you it was a pleasure to spend the day in your company — gently put a hand on her shoulder.  
— Well. It will be better, if i go.  
— Greet Chester  
— Okey. See you later.  
— See you tomorrow?  
— We have not even parted and you already have another meeting? — she laughed softly at his words.  
— Yes.  
— Do not you have a job?  
— No.  
— You know what I would prefer not to have the whole band on my head and especially my brother because I'm pulling you away from the music.  
— We have a temporary break in the recordings, you do not have to be afraid of them.  
— Well, if you think so. I'm better back now. Hey.  
— See you, Julia.  
She paused on the porch, watching the music disappear from her eyes. She returned to the apartment, pulled off her shoes and walked slowly to the living room. Chester rested after a rather busy day in the studio. When he heard her footsteps, he looked up at her, smiling warmly.  
— Hi, young.  
— Hey — she dropped out of the free couch, submerging her face in the warm pillows.  
— You look bad — his muffled voice reached her in the distance – Why did not you answer the phone?  
— I did not hear that someone is calling — she answered honestly – I was busy exploring the city — she raised herself on the elbows, sitting on the edge of the sofa, leaned her head on the sofa bed, closing her tired eyes. She had not felt exhausted all day long in the streets of Los Angeles, but now she felt tired eyelids that slowly closed.  
She heard her brother's voice disappearing in the distance and she drifted to the land of eternal dreams.  
She sprawled comfortably in a swivel chair, looking around carefully at the bright cream—colored walls of the recording studio. She often saw him in movies. It has not changed much since the last publication of the film, which she could see on the website. Equipment for recordings and many instruments had their designated place in this room, even without being bold enough to be in a different place. Abstract paintings decorated the walls of the room, adding a bit of a harsh interior of coziness. She stopped her glance at the dark piano standing in the corner of the room. She smiled slightly, reminding herself of the first lessons of playing the instrument, when she was unable to catch the right note to be able to hear it properly, but Mr. Silencio kept a lot of peace and repeated that she should never learn anything by force to get tiny steps into tiny steps. perfection. The Spaniard's advice was deep in her mind when she sat down again with the keys, she did not feel nervous. She remembered that she closed her eyes, letting the music lead her, the man did not take pride when she played for the first time one of the most difficult pieces to be performed for beginner pianists. During the end of the lesson, he let her play his chosen song, the choice was not difficult, because from the moment she sat on the pianist's chair she wanted to play a piece of performers she admired a lot. At that time she made a few mistakes, but the teacher pointed out her misleading notes, the next time the song sounded as if it was played by the person who created this single. In recent weeks, she rarely sat behind the instrument and played, abandoned music for some time, to which she had an equally deep feeling. The passion for the piano and the guitar were nothing short of her artistic soul, she often sat down with her notebook to sketch another painting she saw through the eyes of her imagination to pass it on to light sheets of paper. She turned away from the depths of her mind through the opening door. She looked at Michael, who had entered the studio, carrying a black briefcase and a few sketchbooks in his arms. He sat on a dark couch, drawing sketches on a tiny table.  
— I could have known what it is? She asked, intrigued by the notebooks she held.  
— Of course — he grabbed a bright diary, lying on the bottom, opening it. A page with a drawing of the eye appeared, which surprised her slightly — These are my old drawings — he explained, noticing her questioning look — I drew them during the last tour — continued his explanations.  
— You find it, time during concerts? — she could not hide her surprise, bright flames appeared in her eyes.  
— Sometimes, it is difficult, but there is a moment when I am sitting bored on a plane, I grab a sketchbook and paint.  
— Is not it a bit problematic during the flight?  
— Before, it was, but since we have to travel with our equipment, we have reserved private flights, where the journey is a bit more pleasant — he explained his observations, looked up at her intriguing blue irises.  
— Do you want to see them? — He asked, suddenly shaking his head abruptly, with obvious opposition.  
— No! I do not belong to prying people.  
— I did not think so — he handed her a notebook, which he held in his hands, with uncertainty accepted him — I know how important it is to look for the right patterns in art or illustration. I know that I am not the best person to do this, but I see that he is curious to learn about new horizons. Be able to develop, try new things.  
— I do not think that your paintings are bad. I told you that I admire you for many months, you do not rightly think that you are not a good example, because the truth is different. Yes, sometimes your drawings seem a bit incomprehensible to me, but every painter or graphic artist has a different way of looking at art. I take you as an example, because when I wanted to quit painting, your paintings helped me to create a desire to create myself again — she caught his full astonishment of the dark irises, a slight smile brightening his lips.  
– I'm glad you're talking about it this way – he said in admiration for her words of admiration.  
— Unfortunately, I'm not as good as you — she said after a moment of silence that overcame the room.  
—Do not be so critical to yourself — he said, interrupting her flow of words — I talked to Chester about your drawings, he told me a lot of good things about your paintings and his words show that you're doing pretty well.  
— He said, so as not to hurt me.  
— You can not still look at your skills, so negatively.  
— My abilities are not so developed, I paint only for myself and in this I feel best.  
— Did you take the notebook with you? — he asked unexpectedly, not letting her finish, speak.  
— Yes.  
— Can i see him? I promise to look at them as a professional. We'll see how much talent you have.  
The eighteen—year—old looked at him, not quite convincing her whether she really dared show Mike his drawings, he assured her, but he did not intend to criticize her, he did not dare to say that her drawings are perfect under every element. He only wanted to tell her what she had longed for so many years, to indicate what she could work on to make her paintings better and better. She sighed quietly, reaching into her purse, pulled from the inside a well-known notebook in a dark frame. She stood up to sit on the edge of the sofa, handed him a notebook, watched him, looks through the drawings, fear engulfed her, for fear, but hear his opinions, although she consented to his request, she felt a growing expectation in her heart. He looked up after a few minutes that seemed like hours spent waiting for her.  
— As you think? — finally asked after a long time quite unpleasant silence for her.  
— I think you have the makings of a great painter, yes you make a few mistakes, but you can eliminate them. Your paintings are inspirational and attractive. I have a persistent eye and you see a lot of details, what few happen, exactly wants to reflect every detail, to make the picture more realistic, I'm very much appreciated. Your sketches are at university level. You can easily connect with this future, because if you decide to devote your further education towards fine arts, you will easily get recognition in these circles.  
— I have the impression that you only say it because you know me and do not want me to feel offended...  
— Julia, I told you earlier that I do not look at paintings under the knowledge of only skills that you undoubtedly possess — did not let her finish my sentence. He reached for the dark sketchbook, flipped to the page he was looking for, simultaneously showing her own drawing, which she had drawn the day before, and a confusingly similar sketch of the girl he painted some time ago during the tour, pointing to the similarity between the pictures.  
— Do you think you do not have talent? I have to lead you out of error. Look at your sketch, then look at what I showed you. You have many skills, take advantage of the opportunities that fate gave you, you can not break it — he patiently explained it, he saw her slightly, uncertain look which confirmed him in the belief that he is actually walking the way to convince her to his position — If you want it I can explain to you what you need to work on and pay more attention to. The decision, however, ultimately belongs to you, but listen to me and give yourself the chance you have been given — he ended his monologue, letting her rethink his words. He watched her closely as she analyzed the next words of his speech, wondering which way to go. He saw her eyes rise, her bright smile lit up her anxious face, fear gave way to feeling, something like trust he could not expect.  
— If you think I have opportunities and opportunities, I want to use them. I spent many years developing skills and if you think I can go, I would like you to help me — she said with a slight smile.  
— There is a chance that you will agree to these lessons?  
— Of course it is — she said hastily, rising from the couch. She kept up with him when they left the home recording studio, went down the dark stairs to the spacious living room, unexpectedly Julia stopped and her gaze went to the frame with the picture hanging on the wall.  
— Can I ask you something? — brunet turned to her, watching her eyes stop in the photo. The picture, which reminded him so much about happy moments, was also the reason for his frustration and tiredness. A lot of emotion boiled in his mind when he saw this little brunette at his side, a woman who made his life a nightmare.  
— Of course.  
— Where's your wife? Forgive me for my audacity, but from the moment we met, you do not talk about it. I noticed that you spend a lot of time in our presence, reluctantly afterwards you come back to the apartment — the question that hit her in the last few weeks, her mind, could have boldly said it. She spent more than two weeks with him, often when he returned to his home, she saw in his eyes a dislike he could not hide. She remembered the moment of their first meeting, his gaze full of pain, a fake smile replaced the heart filled with bitterness. She did not understand his behavior, but during those days of acquaintance she did not have the boldness to ask him. Today's afternoon spent in his company allowed her, on whose courage she lacked and ask about his emotional life. It seemed to her incorrect, but her thoughts tormenting did not allow her to calmly leave it unresponsive.  
— My marriage does not exist — he said this with great regret, he looked away, not to show through the familiar sadness that overwhelmed his body.  
— What? — words caught in her throat.  
It seemed to her always that Mike's relationship with Taylor was almost perfect. When she saw them together during various gal or a hand of music statuettes, she saw a lot of love in their eyes. It was rare to meet such a devoted marriage, she saw a lot of affection towards each other, each gesture was filled with emotions to the other person, an unexpected message about breaking this relationship was a surprise for her.  
— I thought that many of you are connected — she said timidly, after a long minute of fear of looking into his eyes.  
— Julia, they all thought so. No one knew Smith as well as I did.  
— What do you mean?  
— Sit down, I will tell you everything — he slowly approached the couch, where he sat down.  
— Do you really want it? You do not know me long. You are not afraid...  
— I trust you.  
She looked at him with a look of amazement. She approached him, letting him take his seat beside him.  
— I knew Taylor from the beginning of high school, it seemed to me that something special joined us— he slowly began his story — We got married as young people, we thought we were ready for a permanent relationship and starting a family, unfortunately time has shown that I was wrong about her.  
— What does it mean?  
— She was not ripe for the role of a wife, but she also never took our relationship seriously — he fell silent, wanting to sort his thoughts — Our relationship began to fall one year after the wedding. It seemed that our marriage was almost perfect. I was deluded, I lived a delusion that she showed me.  
— I do not understand.  
— Julia, I know that I have never been perfect, because I know that I devote a lot to my work and especially to my family, but I tried not to miss anything. She used my naivety and cleverly set up her second face, full of lies, deceptions and constant betrayals.  
— She was capable of that !? What a... — She broke off, not allowing her words to leave her lips again, she realized that she should not say those words in his presence, she did not want to hurt him.  
— I know what you think about her – she looked up at his words — Believe me, I think about her worse. But it was her betrayal that hurt me the most — a lonely tear rolled, he recalled their last conversation when their intimacy was irretrievably severed.  
— What did she do? — She asked cautiously, tearing him from the depths of her mind.  
He could barely contain the salty drops of water that came to his eyes. He pressed his lips into a narrow line when he saw her smile full of ridicule, an empty heart that was almost like a rock for the pain of another human being and disrespect for the new life that was under her heart.  
— She removed our unborn child — he closed his eyelids, feeling the flow of anger at his ex—wife, sadness overwhelmed his aching heart. He looked painfully at the face of the patchwork. She did not have the courage to say anything. She sat dumbfounded, not having the courage to say a word. He did not ask for it, nobody knew the secret he had held in his heart for many years. He had no idea why in the presence of this young girl, he had the audacity to say about the cruel past. To confide in someone with the emotions they have been attracting.  
Bennington took his hand, she did not have the courage to hug him. She was worried about how she could react. She saw in his eyes the overwhelmed suffering, something like the pattern of agreement, as if he were skilfully reading her deepest thoughts. Uncertainly she approached him, letting him face her collarbone. She did not feel the fear that accompanied her at close contact, she did not even want to run away. They sat in deep silence in their arms.


	10. TOM 1— REBEL : 09 —  I WANT TO MEET THE PEOPLE I TRUSTEM

She was sitting slightly hunched, carefully looking at the drawing that was forming under her hand. Deep reverberations of silence prevailed in the apartment, only the sound of singing birds interrupted the harmony in which it was stuck. She turned her notebook around so she could add a darker shade to the brown. A look full of warmth. She rose up to see if she had chosen the shadow of the man's eyes well. The corner of her mouth gently moved upward, seeing the effect of his two-hour work. She was thinking a lot lately about Mike's words. Remembering their conversation, in which he dared to tell her the truth about his unsuccessful relationship and pain after losing the unborn child. She could not understand the cruelty of his ex-wife. She could not imagine how his life had been ruined in a moment, and the many betrayals had to be engraved in his mind, but the tearing pain he would feel after losing his firstborn was equally devastating. She has heard many times that we will not feel the suffering of another person when we do not experience a similar psychological shock. She could only guess what a great chaos he had in his mind after a broken marriage, mental torture, and the loss of a new life. She tried to understand him and let him break his thoughts from the past. She wanted him to feel happy and free from Taylor's specter over his mind. She drew the last lip line. She put the dark pencil on the table, casting a glance at the portrait of a dark–haired Asian man. She had to admit that Shinoda's self-portrait painted from memory also came out well if she drew, modeling herself on a photo. She looked up when she heard the apartment door opening. Chester returned to the studio, but what surprised her was not alone. She could hear the sound of conversation coming from the hallway.  
— I have no idea where he could be — Brad recognized, and knew that Brother had brought his friends.  
— His phone is silent, let's go to him — after a moment five men entered the salon, on their faces could see a clear worry and anxiety.  
— What happened? — she got up from the comfortable sofa, approaching the musicians.  
— Mike is silent from morning, we do not have contact with him. We are afraid that something has happenerd — said Rob, frightened.  
— Were you in the apartment?  
— Yes, but he does not open the door.  
— Or he's gone — Dave said.  
— You believe that he could go somewhere and not tell us about it! — Brad raised his voice, eyeing his team mate.  
I come here to be alone, to rest from a tiring day or to put my thoughts in order – she heard the words he spoke to her, showing the place only he knew but also her.  
— I know where he is — interrupted their discussions.  
— How do you know that?! — she felt their piercing looks on each other, she felt confused, she did not let herself show it.  
— Trust me. I'm going to talk to him, wait here — they have not been left to give him an eighteen—year—old trust, hoping to find a missing colleague who has not spoken to them since the early morning hours. They did not feel sorry for him, because they understood how difficult it was for him to accept the separation from Smith. They wanted to be aware, however, that he was safe and free from all kinds of destructive thoughts.  
She accelerated her pace in a hurry, wearing bright sneakers. She knew that the beaches were not a long way to go, but she was disturbed by the words of friends. When she saw the golden sand in the distance, she rushed to the beach. She defeated her distance from the secluded stone cliff that Michael loved so much. She climbed the slope. She did not have to go long to see his delirious figure in the distance. She slowed, maneuvering between the rocks to finally stand by his side. He did not have to look up to know that the dark-haired high school student was standing right behind him:  
— I knew you would find me here — he said, not taking his eyes from the demolished ocean.  
— I felt that I could find you here — She sat on one of the stones, dipping her feet in the gap between the two boulders, catching his confused look, felt a stab in her heart, seeing his sadness. She did not like to see the pain that affected her relatives, she could say that she did not treat Shinoda anymore, but the towers that formed between them were much stronger.  
— You are bothering about this.  
— I know, I can not do it differently — he said in a low voice.  
— Well, I know it is not easy, forget about the past and live the present, but if you let the memories come back, you will not be able to step forward.  
— How can you know about it!? — he turned abruptly towards her, measuring her with a cold stare — You will never understand how a man can feel bad! The dumb-faced man looked into his empty eyes, a single drop dripping down her warm cheek. She felt a painful sting in her heart, as if a dagger were in her wounded soul. She knew well that the words had a lot of power, but she did not want to feel uncomfortable. She wanted to erase from memory the moment of her fall and her own failure when she felt another opening wound on her memories.  
— I'm sorry, I did not mean to say it — she senses remorse in his voice. She did not feel sorry for him, she knew how to feel lost at the moment. As in such moments, a person needs someone's support, a helping hand that he can capture to help him not to drown. She did not have the opportunity to get to know this feeling, she always tried to face her defeats. She wanted to help him, to get him out of the mess he had fallen into. The suffering of the friend was a horrible sight, she wanted to bring him back to life colors.  
— People unknowingly hurt themselves, they hurt themselves, they make their hearts bleed, letting demons replace their good memories, eclipse their joy of life so that dreams become reality — she remembered the moments of her battle that had been going for so many years "It's up to us whether we let ourselves be saved or destroyed — she continued, out of the corner of her eye, catching his dark irises, saying, "Give yourself Michael's chance, let me see a good that you can not see.  
— Do you think it can work?  
— You never know what the consequences of our attempts will be, but let your heart be opened to people who want your happiness. Have the courage you're talking about in your songs — she felt his arms that slowly tightened on her waist, moved her to her, she could snuggle into his collarbone, the delicate scent of his perfume hit her nostrils, wrapped her neck around her warm breath, she could understand his behavior and she did not feel disgusted with his act, on the contrary she was aware that it was the first step that he could look at his future in different colors. Add black and white to the bright colors of the world around him.  
— Take the fight that fate has given you — she whispered softly, the words she often said, making her look more boldly at the life around her.  
— Thank you for your presence — he moved away from her to look deep into her eyes.  
— Only what I want to be able to see your sincere smile, does not want anything in return but the awareness that the next day you will have to overcome, you will do it with joy in your eyes.  
— I can promise you that — the shadow of happiness appeared in his dark gaze.  
— I am glad that although we know each other so briefly, you let me trust, give you hope that you miss.  
— Trust is the foundation of later intimacy — he smiled slightly at her words.  
— Let's get back better, the guys are worried about you — she finally said, straightening out, reaching out for him, which he quickly caught. They passed through a thicket of rock clasped together to reach the shore of the petrified beach. The seventeen—year—old descending, unfortunately, set the stop between the rocks, if it were not for Michael's quick reaction, she would feel a painful fall on the warm grains of golden sand. He caught her in his arms, saving him from slipping off the uneven ground.  
— Thank you — she whispered, clasping his hands on his chest.  
— Trifle, I would not let you fall — he helped her down safely.  
Returning in the direction of hause Bennington, they were talking in low voices, slightly shaken after the recent events. They reached the friend's flat, they heard in the entrance, raised the band's voices clearly, what they talked about vividly, she could not hear, the content of their words, however, clearly heard the falling name of Shinoda from their mouths. They walked slowly inside, and the five musicians looked up when they spotted Julie in the company of a friend.  
— Mike, where were you? Why did not you answer the phone? — five men jumped on a friend, she saw in his eyes a request that he clearly directed to her, she wanted to help him, but she could not answer him. She knew that the boys would understand his behavior. Forgiving even small things builds strong and lasting knowledge for many years, there are moments of unexpected doubt in knowing, but when they bind their deep bond, they will always leave such moments of winning.  
— Calm down — said the teenager, turning to the artists — Screaming is not the best way to explain an agreement. Mike will explain to you why he was not there, but please, calmly sit down and resume your conversation — she added, looking at them, seeing their agreement, she could go ahead without disturbing them.  
— Where are you going? — She turned away when her brother's voice reached her.  
— You have a lot to say, I'd better leave you alone — she replied, giving a dark smile to Louis.  
Before he could say anything, she climbed up the bright steps and crossed the way to the room. A delicate scent of white roses enveloped her senses as she crossed the threshold of the bedroom. She loved the smell of freshly cut flowers. Transparent vase with delicate details stood on a tiny table, tiny crystal balls floated between the stems of plants, which added to the amazing charm. There was still a faint scent of vanilla candles that had been set on fire this morning, now left blank to leave a wonderful smell of vanilla sticks. She reached for the tablet and headphones lying on the desk going out to the balcony. She sat on a lounger padded with a blue coverlet, looking at the garden bathed in the afternoon sun. She looked away from pots filled with many flowers. She connected the headphones to the player and after a while resounded her well-known Prayer of the Refugee notes:

Warm yourself by the fire, son,  
And the morning will come soon.  
I'll tell you stories of a better time,  
In a place that we once knew.

Before we packed our bags  
And left all this behind us in the dust,  
We had a place that we could call home,  
And a life no one could touch.

Don't hold me up now,  
I can stand my own ground,  
I don't need your help now,  
You won't let me down, down, down!

She closed her eyes, listened to the characteristic voice of Mcilrath, liked his energetic voice, in the texts his fat always found many messages and political or economic links that he touched in his works, many times listening to his songs, admitted the truth in his words. Music should have a lot to send, listen to, try to get to the nooks and crannies of your mind and get to know yourself, you've made it through the song of your favorite artists.  
She drew her thoughts away, launching applications, a familiar blue background filling the screen. She was not a frequent guest on this platform, but she only came here when she could not find a job, sometimes she joined a conversation between Linkin Park fans. Personally, however, the team did not have an account on this website. She was not surprised at all, because the site was not so well known, and she came across it by accident, browsing the music forum, the reader mentioned this portal, encouraging to open an account. Initially, she was skeptical about it, she became convinced after a few weeks, opening her profile. Looking at the conversation between people, she smiled under her breath. Only a few weeks ago, she had no idea that she would have the opportunity to get to know this band, now she could confidently say that they had come closer to each other and especially to Chester. They wanted to make up for the lost years of their separation, which they talked for long hours. She could boldly say that they look similar to their mothers, but the characters were completely different. He was more impulsive, there were moments when I managed to do something before he thought about it, but in serious situations he was calm and calm. She tried to be calm, she did not like sudden actions, she wanted to analyze everything before she could do it, her brother was more energetic, he liked to have fun, he sometimes wanted to feel the adrenaline in her veins, she wanted to sit in the privacy of the room to grab a sketchbook and paint. Although they were completely different from each other, they were able to find many topics that interested both of them, find classes that they could do together. A certain character trait made them very similar to each other. They were able to stay stubborn in their decisions, they could not let go until they finished their task. She felt that if they had to argue, their argument would not be too interesting, but she did not think about it, she enjoyed every moment spent with her family.  
Unexpectedly, she felt someone's hand on her shoulder, blocked the device, pulled out the headphones from her ears, looked up at the green iris of David.  
— Did you explain everything? — she disappeared when he sat down in the other chair.  
— Yes, I still have the compelling impression that something is bothering him — he replied in a pensive reverie.  
— Dave will not easily forget about his relationship with Taylor, he's very affectionate about her, it's not easy to forget about love overnight, but maybe something has always failed — she put the device down on the table, eyeing him.  
— I understand that perfectly Julio, but I want to see him when he enters the studio without emptiness in his eyes and a forced smile.  
— Give him a few days. I know that this state has been going on for two years, but these few days are going to be sorting it all over again.  
— One thing puzzles me — he said suddenly.  
— What? — she turned in his direction with a questioning look.  
— We tried to help him with a divorce from Smith, we tried to understand him, get him to have a sincere conversation, you appeared and the two weeks you spent at your side let me open to you.  
— Recently I was thinking about it and I do not know if my observations are right, but I think there are memories that he was afraid to tell you, he was just ashamed of that.  
— We know each other almost from high school and do not trust us?  
— It's not Dave, it's just that some moments seem so depressing that you're afraid to tell a friend you know for many years, you're afraid of rejecting him.  
— It's absurd.  
— I understand your agitation, but sometimes even men have to talk to some woman. Men are extremely proud when it comes to feelings, they are afraid of the reactions of their buddies in spite of their long-term relationship — she saw him, nodded in the sign of understanding, he put his forehead thoughtfully.  
— I think you're right, Julia — he admitted after a moment of reflection.  
— I'm looking for you all over the house — They lifted their heads, hearing Bourdon's familiar voice, which entered her bedroom unnoticed, and they did not hear Robert's knocking when they talked.  
— What happened?  
— Come on down, the boys prepared a movie and snacks — eighteen year old laughed softly, rising from a comfortable chair.  
They walked down the bright steps to the living room. She saw that everything was prepared for the film screening. The teenager took a seat on the armrest of the chair on which the singer sat.  
— What are we watching? — she became curious, taking from Rob a glass of cold lemonade.  
— I bet today for a catastrophic evening. I hope you like it? — Joe waved her the packaging of the disc he had hidden into the player. She grabbed it, reading a large inscription on paper behind the transparent foil "The Day After Tomorrow".  
— I know this movie — she said, the musicians looked at her — Did not you watch him? She asked, noticing their eyes on them.  
— We did not have the opportunity to see him — Mike said honestly, answering his colleagues.  
— I would like to see him once again, I like this movie — she curled her legs to sit comfortably on the chair, leaning against Bennington's shoulder.  
— Please, do not say what will happen.  
— I do not have that habit. You will see for yourself how the whole movie will roll out. I have to admit that when I first saw it, I was a bit scared, but with time my fear would pass. I think that he will not make any medicines with you — she explained, taking a sip of a drink.  
— We're watching. I am curious about this movie, your stories show that it promises to be a good movie — the singer took the pilot from the table, including the movie.  
— How was it? — asked the high school student, two hours later, when the subtitles ending production were flying.  
— I will not say an interesting and very realistic one — admitted Brad bluntly.  
— I always thought that every film has a grain of truth, I was interested in this film because we do not know what the future will bring, what consequences our actions will take now. You must, in time, protect the environment.  
— You took it well, that's why we try to get people to not respect the world around them, we only have one planet and we have to look after her.  
— But there are people who can not understand it — she said suddenly, adjusting herself in the seat.  
– We can not be responsible for all Julio, those who want change must urge to change their position, but to a large extent they have to change their approach, otherwise they will not do anything — replied the brunet with a storm of curls on his head.  
— That's true — she murmured.  
— Well, let's not touch this topic. Can we see something else?  
— Happy.  
— I have suggestions — Julia began, sitting on the bright carpet in front of the CD shelves, reaching across the drawer as her hands met with a cold glow, grabbed him reading the title of the film to make sure she was looking for it.  
— Have you ever watched the "Volcano" of 1997?  
— This title tells me something – said the rapper, coming up to her to look at the cover — Filming did not say that unexpectedly in Los Angeles appeared a volcano, with which you had to fight?  
— Exactly — she replied, showing him the box.  
— From your stories, it's an interesting movie. Open it! — the drummer invited them, looking at the two sitting on the bright material in front of the fireplace.  
It allowed Michael to turn on the movie, after a while they could see the first shots of the beginning film image. They spent the next hours watching the efforts of the daredevils who took up the fight with the unbridled element. After two hours of projection, the band decided to return to their apartments, helping the siblings to sort out the slight mess that had appeared in the living room to the early announcement that I did not.  
The high school student entered her bedroom, went to the balcony, taking the tablet she had left earlier, put it on the desk, grabbed the casual blouse and short pants from the wardrobe, she dreamed of a long warm bath. She closed the bathroom door, heard Chester singing, who was looking for his phone around the apartment.  
— You did not see him anywhere!? – She heard his raised tone of voice.  
— No — she shouted back, tied her hair into a sloppy tassel.  
She went into a warm bath, white foam wrapped around her body, and the pleasant scent of bath oils rose in the air. She leaned her head against the bathtub head, closing her eyes, enjoying the pleasant aromas of the flavoring oils. She did not look at her watch to see what time it was, it was very nice here, the light was dim, and a few candles lit up the mood. She left after long minutes of bathing. She combed her hair, braiding it, with two braids, despite the fact that she could get curls using a curling iron, she liked to do it in a natural way. She put on the clothes she had brought and left the bathroom, went into the room when she heard the sound of the notification. She grabbed the phone lying on the bed and read the message:

Thank you for today's conversation.  
I will remember your words.  
Sleep well.  
Mike

She smiled slightly, writing back to him. She put down the phone, settling comfortably on the warm mattress, grabbed the blanket that lay at her feet, covering her shoulders. She closed her eyes and after a moment Morpheus took her in his arms.

The next morning Bennington siblings sat on the terrace bathed in the morning sun. The smell of fresh flowers hovered in the air, the harmony of the city was interrupted by birdsong and the sound of trees. Dog barking was heard in the distance, but Anika did not join her companions. She lay beside Julia's legs looking at the world around her. The teenager offered the adventure of literary heroes did not notice the look of her brother, who was looking at her more closely for a while. He put a notebook on the table, in which he wrote down a small idea for the next song. He could not think, because the sound of a quiet melody spread throughout the apartment. He put down the pencil, rising from the wicker chair. He defeated the distance separating him from the door, the bitch rushed after him, wagging his tail cheerfully. He opened the door, meeting his five friends, all dressed in summer clothes with shoulder bags.  
— Hey, Chazz, can we?  
— Sure — he let them through the door, leading into the living room.  
— Where's your sister?  
— Here I am — the teenager offered a sudden noise, she broke out of the interesting adventure she was reading to find out what had happened.  
— We're going to the beaches. Do you want to go with us? — Joe asked, correcting the slipping shoulder straps of his backpack.  
— Sure.  
— Julia?  
— Happy.  
— We'll wait for you, and prepare yourself — She listened to their advice, moving into the room. She went into the bedroom, taking a small bag from her wardrobe, inserting her necessary things. She changed herself in a hurry in a blue swimsuit, put on her a cream dress with delicate straps. Before she left, she grabbed a pair of dark glasses, putting them into tangled hair. When she was in the living room, she saw five men who had settled comfortably on the couches, waiting for the return of their siblings.  
— Here you are — Brad gave her a warm smile, noticing her at the last step.  
— Only Chester is missing — they did not have to wait for him for a long time, he appeared just a minute later, sliding the lock of a dark navy blue bag.  
They left the flat, although they did not have a long route to the beach, they went to her by car. They knew that they would spend long hours on the shores of the ocean and I would probably be tired after returning home. They reached the famous beach in Santa Monica, they found a peculiar place far away from the flood of natives and tourists of the place. The team took advantage of the fact that they immersed themselves in the bath, in the warm ocean they missed the water, leaving Julie, who gave up playing in the water, to be able to take a bit more sunbathing. She pulled the essential oil out of the bag, which she often used, the delicate aroma of cocoa rising in the air as she spread it over her body, protecting herself from burns, allowing her skin to take on a darker shade. She put down the oil, taking the book she read in the morning, learning about the fate of literary characters.  
She could not say how long she was basking in the sunshine of the Californian sun, sunk into Rosie's romantic novel, and Jonathan, a couple of twenty-five-year-olds who had to travel a lot of ways to experience joy and love. Deep in her soul, she always dreamed of experiencing such a romantic story that she read about in her favorite writers' novels. She closed the volume of The Shadow of the Phoenix by Juliet Mikowicz, wearing glasses. Unexpectedly, she felt like someone, grabs her in her arms. Frightened by sudden action, she looked around in panic, looking for the person who was holding her. Facing Mike's dark gaze, she felt light on her heart because she knew she did not have to worry about anything.  
— Mike, what are you doing? Put me on the ground!  
— I do not agree, beauty — he just laughed, noticing her hard eyes.  
She looked toward the ocean, did not know why, but understood his behavior. She strengthened her grip on his neck when he came into contact with the sheet of warm water, he did not even have time to loosen her grip, as both of them landed in the warm depths of the sea. She emerged from under the water, pushing wet hair out of her eyes.  
— You were supposed to drop this water, not me! — the dark—haired boy indignant, giving her an angry look.  
— I do not like Shinoda's numbers with me! — she said scowling, throwing himself in his direction, seeing her sudden movement, flashed the other way, wanting to avoid the necessary confrontation with the teenager. The escape in the depths of the water was not easy, because after a while she caught him, throwing him again under the surface of the sea. He was no longer guilty of it. Water plays and their laughter were heard in the distance. Chester, who was sitting with his friends on the edge of the ocean, looked toward the well-playing couple. He smiled slightly, seeing their shared joy that he could not often see. Clearly, two lost people found themselves in the darkness and let each other help themselves, making their towers stronger and very durable, It took just a few weeks for Julia to become attached to Michael, which amazed him and at the same time made him happy. He could have said that Dave might have been right to propose that the two meet with each other to somehow unconsciously help each other. He watched as Julia once again was pushed under the water, but she did not feel the need to play on her friend.


	11. TOM 1— REBEL : 10 —    I WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE HAPPINESS OF SUMMER FROLICS

— Julia, I know you like to laze around, but it's time to get up — she opened her slightly tear-stained eyes with difficulty, Chester standing nearby, his hands folded on the dogs.  
— I do not want to — she whispered, her voice raspy.  
She had difficulty speaking, as if something caught her in the larynx, not letting her say anything. She covered her face in the down of the pillows, suppressing the cough that was growing.  
— Do you realize what time it is? — He asked, making another attempt to get the teenager to get out of bed.  
— It's noon — she rasped in a weak voice as her eyelids slowly closed.  
— Are you okay? — the worried voice of the man stunned her senses, causing chaos in her mind, as if an explosive charge had burst in her mind. The louder sounds were the reason for her suffering and the roar that existed in her head.  
— Terrible — she complained, unable to stop the stifling cough.  
She felt the mattress next to her, bends, her brother's warmth forced her to turn on her back, reluctantly made his request, the touch of his cool hand caused her unpleasant shudder.  
— You're hot — he murmured in a softer voice, feeling the temperature of the teenager clearly underneath his fingertips. She answered something quietly, but could not hear her words, because she turned back to her stomach, covering herself with a warm blanket.  
— I'm not leaving here today — he heard her muffled words.  
He sighed quietly, not seeing his sister's best health. He got up from the mattress, he had to help her get a fever, he was not sure what could catch her, but he could guess that throat infection, she did not speak too well, it made it difficult, I was telling her something. He went down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. He found a thermometer and a light painkiller in the cupboard, hearing the sound of boiling water. He poured dark tea water, a bit of mead was in a steaming drink. He knew very well that Julia could not stand any additions to the warm essence of tea, but today he allowed himself to add a bit of sweet substance. He grabbed a dark cup and previously prepared medicines, returning to the high school room.  
— Are you sleeping? — He broke the silence that was floating in the bedroom.  
— No — he heard her indistinct answer — I would like to fall asleep — she added, turning to him, took his cup from him, with warm joy, took a sip of the drink, letting me measure the temperature.  
—Big?  
—Unfortunately, yes — he replied, looking at the number on the thermometer —Thirty—nine degree — he explained, looking at her worried — I will call a familiar doctor, I do not want you in such a state, she traveled in hospitals — he added, pulling the phone, dialed the doctor's number, leaving the room.  
She put the cup down on the cabinet, falling off again on the warm bedding. She grabbed a blanket lying nearby, covering her shoulders. She did not even have the strength to do anything, the only thing she dreamed of delving into the land of dreams and not returning from it until she felt better. She stifled the cushion in the powder of the pillow again, coughing again, lonely tears leaving her bright eyes. She wiped salty drops of tears, closing her heavy eyelids. She could hear Bennington talking in the hall. She did not listen to his words, she was not interested in the conversation going on by the musician and his acquaintance. She muttered unhappy when she heard the sound of the phone's notification, reluctantly reached for a bright phone, reading the text of the text message.

If your consent is still valid, as to the drawing lesson, could we meet today?  
Mike

My decision has not changed, I still want you to show me the problem in my work. Unfortunately today, I can not meet with you.  
Julia

She dialed the message, dumped the phone on the second pillow, when Chester came in with information from a friend.  
— Annie will be in an hour, if you want to get some sleep before he arrives — he explained, seeing her confused look.  
— Good — she answered, hearing the soft sound of the melody. She reached for the device, reading Michael's message.

Did something happen?  
Mike

I do not feel strong enough today. Forgive Mike, let's meet again.  
Julia

— You were supposed to sleep and not have a date — Louis laughed, watching his sister's actions.  
— At the moment I do not want to meet anyone — she explained only — Mike wanted to come today, because I asked him to show me what mistakes happen to me when creating drawings.  
— He mentioned something to me about these lessons — he sat on the edge of the bed, remembering his last conversation with a friend.  
— He thought that we could start this class today, unfortunately I have to change plans.  
The signal of the incoming notification, woke her up with a light reflection, she grabbed the phone reading the content of the next message.

My words have worried me. Tell me honestly, what's wrong with you?  
Mike

I would like to know, I feel very bad in the morning. I had to catch some infection with me.  
Julia

Come to you?  
Mike

No, it is not necessary. Chester has already taken care of me.  
Julia

Okay, write to me if you feel better.  
Mike

She put the phone down on the cupboard, grabbed the cup with still steaming liquid and sipped her last gulps. She looked around the bedroom, slightly surprised by the lack of a young man in the room. He had to leave the bedroom when she talked to Shinoda. She shrugged, plunging back into the warm bedding. The embraces of Morpheus quickly took her to the land of eternal happiness, dreams that could only be fulfilled in her imaginary dream world, where there are no boundaries, and her demons that torment your wounded soul can go into oblivion.  
She moaned weakly when she was suddenly awoken, from the beautiful sleepy mary she had fallen into.  
— Chester, give me sleep — she muttered in a hoarse voice as she saw the young musician's face above her.  
— I am sorry that I wake you up, but the doctor came — her gaze went to the woman standing by the bright dresser, bright hair strands in a high coca, bright shade of gray irises looked at her from the woman's concern and willingness to help. She could boldly say she was equal to the Benningtons, she could say she was only two years older than the singer. She was not wearing a typical medical uniform, a light jacket fits perfectly in the cut of dark trousers, and shoes with a delicate heel seemed to be the perfect combination for long hours spent on the way to patients' homes.  
— Okay, I'm getting up — She lifted herself up on the pillows, correcting the unruly strands of hair that had fallen on her face.  
— I will leave you alone — slowly moved to the exit, turned away, stopping to look at the fair—haired girl — Annie, do you want something to drink?  
—Do not get into trouble — the doctor explained, looking at him — I have another visit in half an hour, so I will not have to study it for a long time — she added, pulling out her stethoscope.  
He left the teenagers' bedroom slowly, hearing the conversation of a friend with a high school student. He went down to the bright living room, sat on one of the couches, looked at his audience, who ran into the room, saved by fun in the open air, ran up to him contented, wagging his tail, scratched her behind the ear, making his dog happier. Julia's state worried him, she was having a good time with Brad in the pool yesterday. He could not help but notice the change that had taken place within her during the few weeks she had spent in their presence. Recalling this shy and lost teenager he met, he saw in her the huge change she had undergone, it changed a lot. He often saw a smile on her lips, of which he was undoubtedly happy, sadness replaced joy. Torn-up self-esteem and a sense of inferiority that had been instilled in her for so many years of loneliness slowly recovered. Like any other building blocks on a new foundation. She started a new life, in a different place surrounded by people who only wanted her happiness and successes, which she would achieve with some help. The teenager he met in Phoenix, as if it did not exist anymore, underwent a tremendous change in personality. The youth she had to hide in the depths of her heart left her, she could finally feel like she was an eighteen-year-old girl, with plans for the future, dreams she would like to achieve. He was sure that he would help her fulfill the ambitions that she carried in the depths of her mind. Previous years had to deal alone, develop her interests, no one wanted to see the skills in her and help her develop, direct her to go in the right direction. He decided to help Julia spread her wings, he did not want to cut her wings. She had education opportunities or open paths to other life desires. He always believed in his dreams, he believed that if you wanted something, you would achieve your goal in life, he would give this chance to his younger sister, not to dampen her enthusiasm, which he revived in her. She will give her what she has missed for so many years, living in an orphanage. He raised his head when he heard the click of heels. Anna came up to him, writing the last words on a small card.  
— What's wrong with her? — He asked, feeling the woman's eyes on him.  
— Strong laryngitis without antibiotics will not work — gave him a blue card with a prescribed medicine — He must rest a lot and drink lots of fluids. Let him take the medication for two weeks, he should heal by then, if she does not let her go to the end of the antibiotic, call me, check her condition and then think about giving her hospitalization — she explained, closing her dark folder.  
—Okay, thanks Ann.  
— It's my job. I must go. I have another patient — they moved to the exit, stopped at the door — See you Chester — she shook his hand, leaving the apartment.  
He returned to the living room, saw from the corner of his eye a bitch who ran up the stairs to the upper floor of the house, running to a seventeen-year-old room. He read the list of stored medicines, he did not have these probiotics at home, he knew that he would not go to the store and the pharmacy. He sighed quietly, heading for Julia's room. He opened the door softly, stepping inside, smiled slightly at the sight he found, Anika laid down comfortably beside her mistress, letting her nestle into the soft golden retriever's fur.  
— Young how are you feeling?  
— It was better — he heard her answer, did not even raise.  
— I have to go to the pharmacy for medication, do you want something from the store? — he asked, seeing how he raises his words.  
— I want chocolate akces — she replied with a gentle smile, covering her face again in the pillow as another attack of an unexpected cough hit her.  
— I'll buy you goodies.  
— Thank you — she could not guess, the feelings that her brother had overcome, she only heard the sound of the closed door silently, she sensed Anika gently putting her head next to her, she looked up, meeting the bright gaze of the golden blinds of the pet. She stroked her soft fur.  
— We were left alone — she turned to the dog, who barked softly. She turned on her back, wearily looking at the bright ceiling, she had no idea what she could do. All the activities seemed tiring to her, even painting was difficult for her. Often she did not get sick, even if she caught some infection, she could not lie in warm bedding, only do her daily activities, now she could with a clear conscience give herself up to the laziness, no ghosts, screams of guardians who kept her busy when she felt really bad , with time, she got used to this treatment and she did not regret it. Now she could lie quietly under the fluffy blanket, her brother's faithful companion watched her in sickness, she could devote herself to watching movies she did not have much time for. She covered herself with warm material, coming to a dark oak desk, grabbed the tablet and went back to bed. Unlocked the device, noticing the well-known wallpaper, she smiled at the mere mention of the moment when this picture was taken. The photo was quite funny, come first, the plans for it were completely different than they did in the last resort. Chester stood behind her, tenderly embracing her, Michael stood silly over the vocalist's shoulder, the smiles of the other boys were not firm, but full of humor and merriment. They spent the day on the beach fooling around, playing basketball or talking in the sunshine. Frequent meetings with musicians allowed her to get to know them a bit closer, thus having the opportunity to learn many interesting stories from their youth, concert tours or recordings in the studio. They told her many interesting anecdotes. Many told her what was going on behind the scenes when the cameras were off and did not follow their movements. They loved the moments that they could share with their fans, but many more funny jokes happened to them outside the recordings. She came back from her world of memories, browsing through the list of interesting films, she did not have excessive expectations as to the film she wanted to see. Today, she set the stage for the production of Michael Bay talking about a highly developed race of robots who came to earth in order to find an ankle that would help save their world. She was never a fan of the action movie, but the production seemed quite interesting to her, when the first minutes of filming began, a doorbell sounded throughout the house, she looked at the bitch who was lying next to her, grabbed the dressing gown even though she was wearing her pajamas a bit chilly, covered with warm material, wearing a hood on the head. She left the room, heading for the front door.  
– You asked for a small disease pack – she laughed softly, looking at the tall brunette, in his dark expression of eyes lurks sparkling, waved his bag, she could not see what he was holding inside, the cardboard net was closed enough that she could not see her interiors.  
— Hi Mike, I asked you not to come — she invited him inside, entering the interior of the kitchen — You catch me from the infection and end up in bed like me — she said in a quiet voice, wrapping herself in a more warm bathrobe.  
— Illnesses do not take me so easily — he explained, putting the bag on the counter.  
— I considered the same, you see how it ended for me — she muttered through another attack of cough.  
— Actually, what's wrong with you? — he became interested in pulling out a box.  
— Laryngitis, I do not say so much — she could not allow herself to speak too loudly, she did not want to induce another bouts of breathlessness.  
— Seriously caught you, go to yourself, I'll bring you something soon.  
— You really did not have to do it!  
— Julio is not a big deal, I explained to you that you do not have to worry about it — he said firmy — You are my friend, I want you to feel better — he added, looking into her slightly tired eyes.  
— Well, I'm going for a blanket and I'll be right back — she left the bar stool where she sat, watched her for a moment, unpacked the things she brought, often helped him while he was ill at home. He did not have to wait for her for a long time, she came down wrapped in a warm blanket, and Anika proudly followed her leg, grinning her owner, despite such a short time, the bitch became attached to the teenager, there were days when she was not willing to walk with Chester, she preferred go out with the young woman like a young man joked that Julia receives him from his companion. He gave her one of the cups filled with warm aromatic cocoa. She sat on the edge of the sofa, wrapping herself in warm cloth, taking a sip of the sweet substance.  
— I still have a movie to watch. Did you see Transformers? — He asked, coming back with the box in his hand.  
— No, I was supposed to watch until you came — she smiled warmly at the musician who put the CD in the player. She reached for the remote control, turned on the movie.  
— Where's your beloved brother? — He asked suddenly, sitting at her side.  
— He went for the drugs and the store — she explained, allowing herself to amplify the recorded movie a bit. Michael nodded lightly at the headless sofa, looked at the television screen, when the first minutes of production began, did not look long film screen, the quiet sound of the opening door woke them up from a calm atmosphere that floated in the air.  
— I see that you are well looked after — she looked at her brother, who sent her a warm smile, greeting her friend.  
— I could not have imagined it better — she said with a slightly hoarse throat.  
— Save the young voice, do not want you to land in the hospital with worse symptoms — she nodded, watching him disappear in the kitchen, putting down the shopping bag on the kitchenette.  
— Help you? — the younger man turned to the patron, who slowly began to unpack the purchased products.  
– If you want you can.  
– Will you leave me alone? – she asked with a slight disappointment, he laughed at her not too happy face, answering.  
– I'll help Chester and finish the movie.  
– What are you watching? – the interest that lurked in the dark gaze of the music was contagious, curious about the film adaptation that his sister and his friend saw was enormously large.  
— Some science fiction climates, remember Transfomers?  
— If I could forget about it, I have not seen it since the premiere.  
— You will have the opportunity to see them again — he answered, entering the living room.  
— How much time did I have to wait for you? — she asked slightly annoyed, friends looked at each other, smiles.  
— You know what old. She reminds me of how you get sick — Shinoda took up the subject, squatting on a light furniture — you are also just as impatient.  
— Something seems to you — he answered with a small laugh.  
— Ask the boys, confirm my words... — Julia brutally interrupted his words, cutting into the word of a friend, she did not like to do it, but now she was more sensitive and did not want to wait for the film screening.  
— Gaduły, can we go back to the movie?  
— Yes.  
— Thank you — without paying attention to their looks, she grabbed the remote control again playing the movie.  
The 18—year—old was slowly recovering, the days passed her in the atmosphere of spending long hours in bed, the temperature dropped significantly, there were days when she was caught by strong chills, but painkillers quickly helped fight migraine. Difficulties in speaking became more and more distant, she was able to talk freely without fear of another coughing attack, however, the nights were still tiring for her, as all the symptoms intensified in the evening. There were times when she brought her brother into a white fever, because she could not decide anything, one day Chester said she was capricious like a small child, she did not speak to him until the end of the day. She knew she was hesitant, and even the slightest thing irritated her, but Bennington tried to be forgiving for her, trying to give her the best care.  
— Please, do not start yelling — he said in a calm voice, noticing the teenager's blue—eyed look, pursed his lips in a narrow line, trying not to utter a negative word. It was hard for her to stop the words that were hitting her lips.  
There was a dense liquid between them, like a mist floating in the rainy night, Chester watching her sister with attention, when she was breathing uneasily, he was convinced that it was only a matter of a few moments when her anger would explode or disappear into the abyss of unwanted memories. It crossed his mind that this time he would not be able to calm her down when the girl's blue eyes closed gently.  
— I will give you a break, you will remember me! — the stream of her words was drowned out, the man turned away feeling someone's presence, smiled faintly at Brad standing behind his shoulder.  
— What's this time getting pissed off?  
— I would like to know it myself, she's been irritable for a few days, you can do nothing and stir it up — he replied, looking at the teenager who walked restlessly in the living room, bitter words hung in the air.  
— Please, calm down, Julia — He approached the seventeen—year—old, making another attempt to calm her tangled emotions.  
— Bennington, I will tell you one thing... — he would not let her speak.  
— I'll call Mike, you know how it ended recently.  
— I have a lot to say to him, I'm not afraid of him!  
— Recently you said that too, then it ended completely different.  
— He's a moron!  
— I think I need to talk to you in private — He turned around unexpectedly, hearing the voice of Michael appearing unexpectedly in their apartment.  
— You can not do anything to me!  
— Julia, calm down, no one has anything wrong here — Delson stopped at the side of the vocalist, looking his friend in the eye.  
— What was she so pissed about?  
— If I knew, I would tell you — sighed Chester, resigned.  
— Julia's sick of it — Michael strode to her firmly, placing his hands on her shoulders.  
— No—she wanted to knock down his hand, did not let her do it, strengthened her grip on her wrist, leading her to the other room.  
— I thought that I was the biggest maraud in illness, my sister is even more unbearable —he muttered in a tired voice, falling on the couch.  
— You have to understand it — the guitarist sat in the chair, looking at the singer.  
— Brad, I understand her, but I can not tell you why she got so upset. Julia is a very calm person, if she gets seriously upset, I can hardly calm her down. You have met her so much that you know she is rarely under the pressure of the environment, because of this disease she has become more irritable to trifles, I do not have to complain about her, I would not even laugh, I just want her to feel at ease, what her worries were forgotten — he explained quietly.  
— I can understand your objections to Chester, you love her and you care about her happiness.  
— I do not know why she reacted so aggressively to us today, I can not explain it.  
— He has not the best days — he raised his head at the rapper's friendly voice — I could not even calm her down.  
— What's he doing? — He asked, clearly frightened Louis.  
— She fell asleep moments ago — he explained, joining friends.  
— I think I can understand what is the problem of her current behavior — the musician smiled slightly.

She sat in a comfortable sako bag, she felt nice balls that could adapt to the position in which you were comfortable to sit, absorbed in reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare one of the obligatory books in this year's school year. Holidays do not last forever, the beginning of the school year is slowly approaching, and she delved into the list of obligatory literary novels, to have a little more time to learn, trying, without focusing attention, on the read volumes of the novel. The symptoms of the last illness have already gone into oblivion, as if it was not there. The tender care of her brother quickly helped her enough, come on, she was amazed that Chester managed to withstand her tantrums, he was in no way agitated, assured her that he preferred not to hold anger in the depths of his mind, because it is not a solution, just the opposite would only harm you. She turned the page, reading the next paragraphs of the English writer's drama. She adored this novel, come, she did not like books that were recommended to them by teachers, but the story of two feuding families who combined the death of their own children, led by the love that seized their hearts, was very interesting to her. The story of the young youth Montecchi and the daughter of the Capuleti state became a model of romantic lovers who would sacrifice their lives to join in the sweet embrace of love. An unexpected noise roused her from the world of her own desire for love, she jumped frightened, and the volume of the novel fell out of her hands.  
— Mike, you could speak a second time — she said, meeting her friend's amused eyes, picked up the book, put it back on the table.  
— Forgive me, little one, but you were so calm that I did not want to take you out of my mind — He just laughed, arranging a brown bag on his desk.  
— What's in this bag? — she was interested in the contents of the dark package brought by Shinoda.  
— You do not remember?  
— About what? — she astonished, gently wrinkling her forehead, trying to understand his words, but she could not recall memories she would remember.  
— You forgot — he said with a sigh — We agreed to the first lesson today — the corner of his mouth gently lifted up when he saw the astonishment on the dark—haired face.  
— Forgive me, it completely flew out of my head.  
—It can happen to everyone, Julia — he replied, pulling a dark notebook from the interior, giving it to the girl — Since you think about drawing seriously, you must have some useful things, without which we will not move on, you want to create more professional drawings, so you have to give up notebook and ordinary pencil, because many things escape — he said calmly, taking out more blocks from the bag, paints or crayons, he finally got to what he was looking for, a set of pencils with different softness and hardness.  
— You spent the money again.  
— Julio already explained that you would forget about financial matters, if you are so curious about it, you have already settled with Chester, so you have nothing to worry about.  
— He knew about it?  
— He said so that I would take care of it, because I know more about it, the issue of money we had to get along — he explained, taking out the last block from the inside of the bag — Well, since I have one explanation, we can do our lessons? He asked calmly.  
— Of course — she nodded slightly, staring at him.  
— Have you ever painted watercolors? — He asked as they sat on soft poufs, handed one of the blocks and the set of paints he had mentioned.  
— It happened to me, but I do not have good memories with this type of painting.  
— I will help you re—encourage this technique, because every one that can be used has undoubted potential and can be used in an equal way.  
— I doubt it, but if you think you can.  
— I have already prepared a drawing for this painting, try to paint it as you can, you can use shades of brighteners or whatever you want, but this sketch has to be made with this method — he gave her a drawing card, showed from young people on the edge of treasures in the shade deep ocean.  
They spent another hour talking, painting a picture that Shinoda showed her, listened to his stories from art studies, brought her a bit closer because Joe left the university, which he did not reveal in public, yes he did because he wanted to focus on visual effects in film productions, but he was not the only reason why he left the field of study, which interested him very much. When she filled the sketch with colors, showing the effect of her colleague's work.  
— You managed it well, you can see that this technique gives you a bit more difficulties, because you have not used it for a long time, however I am positively surprised by the final effect, you have to paint more often with watercolors, you can minimize the tweaks, and in time they have disappeared — he said, looking carefully at work .  
— Thank you, nice to hear.  
— Have you thought about studying? — He asked suddenly when he went down to the ground floor.  
— A bit yes, but for now I want to focus on exams ending — she replied, pulling orange juice from the fridge.  
— I think that you should submit your papers to art school, you have a great chance to get to a better university — he took a sip of cold juice.  
— In total, I thought about this direction, but I also thought about English, but I treat it as a second option, if the first one does not necessarily succeed — she put a glass on the counter, sitting on one of the bar stools.  
— I put a lot of hope in you Julio, when I saw your drawings, for the first time I knew that you have a huge talent —leaned on the kitchenette, watching the girl.  
— Thank you, do you have any suggestions for the university?  
— I do not want to influence your decision, you should review the university brochure that interests you and decide for yourself where you want to learn.  
— I would like to concentrate on the end of this year, then I will focus on further learning — he nodded his head in understanding.  
— I see that after the lesson — Chester appeared in the kitchen, and with him pleased Anika, bitch clearly hungry in the evening running, ran up to the bowl, eating his favorite karma.  
— Yes, I will be gathering, I have to work on some recordings.  
— Only do not try again — his colleague warned him before he left the room.  
—I will try — he shouted from the hall, after a while they heard the sound of the door being closed.  
— What teacher is Mike? — he became interested, sitting down opposite his sister.  
— If there were such teachers in school, it would be more willing to go there — he laughed at her words, but after a while he became serious — He is very patient, can explain mistakes in such a way that he does not enumerate, and explains where you make a mistake, is controlled, although I have lost patience a few times, but he can calm down.  
— Just like during our recordings.  
— Now he is not wondering why he is the producer of your records. – Chester smiled at her words, acknowledging her reasons.


	12. TOM 1— REBEL : 11 — YOU SET ME RULES, YOU ARE NOT THE MASTER OF MY LIFE, YOU HAVE LOST THIS RESPEKT

— I warned you loyally that you would not start playing with her — said the amused singer, leaning against the bright piano and looking at David lying on the soft carpet, dark joy lying next to him, which showed the recent game, which he agreed to take with sister of your best friend - You must swallow the bitterness of failure.  
— Thank you for your support — he replied with a light sulky face, lighting his colleague with a look.  
— Old man — he replied with a cheerful smile, he looked away, staring at Michael, lost in thought — Did you come up with something? — He asked, seeing his full face.  
— No — he nodded, watching the bundle of paper lying on his lap.  
— Can you tell me how long you play this game? — the bassist turned to the teenager, who was carefully watching the game boards. She put her down on the rug and glanced briefly at her friend.  
— First time I played with Chester about four weeks ago, she has not looked at her ever since — she explained, glanced at Anike who crouched down to her, arranging herself comfortably on her thighs. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. With her free hand she combed the bitch's coat.  
— You have to be joking! — he smoked unexpectedly, looking at her with attention, and skeptical thoughts took hold, his mind.  
— No.  
— Phi, you have to accept the defeat, you are too weak to defeat her — Brad said, behind the music magazine he was browsing. Sam was waiting for the subscription of this newspaper, but he still did not receive it, seeing the latest issue at his friend, he delved into the book, looking for interesting articles to read. He hung his gaze, feeling the friend's iridescent eyes, sighed heavily, folded the tabloid, putting it on the dresser.  
— Are you saying I'm bad?  
— Yes.  
— Why do you think so?  
— Because you can lose with a girl who plays this game for the second time in your life — he said in a slightly amused voice.  
— Since you think so, I have a challenge for you.  
— What? — friends clearly interested in the ongoing discussion, they watched the man in conversation with attention. Szatynka leaned against the nearest chair, still stroking his favorite. She glanced at David and Brad with a slightly indulgent smirk. She did not take the gameplay seriously, but in a way that she could tear her thoughts away from the thoughts and thoughts of unwitting thoughts. She treated it as a farm of fun and relaxation.  
— Compete with Julia — he said firmy — If you lose, you put me in a beer.  
— Well — he accepted the challenge he had thrown, picked him up, rained from him, sitting down at the side of the teenager who gave him a small smile.  
— Are you guys? —before they started the race, they turned to the high school girl with a request.  
— Of course, it's just fun — she laughed, letting the opponent choose the track on which they were to face. After a long reflection, it fell on the boards in the endless wilderness. Hounds of golden sand stretched in the space of many kilometers, no signs of civilization could be seen, and few animals were hidden in the distance. The asphalted road stretched along the sandy terrain. She grabbed the controller, focusing her attention on the TV screen. They did not wait long to start the race, after a while their cars raced on the dark road, trying to catch up with their rival. Julia muttered disgustedly when she was out of the way in the next corner, which enabled Brad to overtake her for several precious miles. She did not allow herself a loss and after a while she caught up with the brunet red off-roader. She smiled when she saw the black and white stripes ending the race.  
— It wins like that — she announced happily as her black convertible crossed the long-awaited finish line.  
The men laughed at her words. She put the joystick on the table, rising slightly with difficulty. She hissed softly in pain as she felt an unpleasant shudder running over her legs. She waited until the unpleasant pain passed and rushed to the kitchen, because something cool to drink. She returned to the living room, finding musicians immersed in conversation.  
She pointed to Michael and Chester, absorbed in notes, which for a while looked through the rapper in search of information that interested him, found what he was looking for, letting Bennington look at this news. She was not sure what they were working on, but seeing them at work was a nice sight. She placed a few glasses filled with sweet nectar on the table, sat down on the vacant spot next to Rob, talking to the silent drummer:  
— What are they working on?  
Busta asked them to sketch the melodic lines to the chorus. They have to send it to him tomorrow.  
—Forgive me for asking, but what is Busta? — astonishment lurked in her sea gaze, Robert, seeing her slightly unintelligible look, turned to a friend:  
— You did not tell her anything?  
— I forgot to mention it — he murmured, without taking his eyes off the document file, listening to Shinoda's suggestion.  
— What are you talking about?  
— Busta Rhymes asked us to collaborate on one of his songs — he hastened with explanations — The premiere of his latest album will soon be on — he stopped. He frowned thoughtfully, trying to recall the name of the rapper's album, with poor results — Do you remember the name of the album?  
— I'm Blessed — the vocalist threw, writing the text meticulously on one of the sheets.  
— Thanks, Chazz. He asked for the final melodic lines, so Mike has been working on it for several days.  
— Did he start production?  
— How would you guess? He is one of the producers of this disc.  
— Mike, how are you finding the time? — She heard his laugh in response.  
— There will always be moments, you just need to organize it well — he explained to her eyes full of curiosity, the color of the ocean.  
— You will still surprise me — she replied.  
— You will not be surprised once again by his skills, he can surprise — the Korean intervened in their conversation. They did not receive a response from Michael, who again focused on the melody, which he played quietly on a bright piano listening to the comments of a friend who made the last changes to the text.  
The end of holiday play was approaching inexorably. It was time to think about returning to school reality in the circle of close friends and the time spent on the longed-for holidays, and despite the fact that she was still a month off and idle without being aware that she would have to get up the next morning to spend time in particular with Chester and the rest of the band. She had to think about the new high school. She decided that she did not want to go to a private facility, but blend in with the crowd of ordinary teenagers. She was an ordinary high school student who, for so many years of struggle and ignorance, had found a real home, her own asylum in which she felt safe and happy, surrounded by the love and care of her brother. She did not need much to be happy, only knowing that he had Chester by her side, who would not let her hurt, would give her life a difficult one, let her forget her suffering, and her broken heart was healed slowly. It will not be easy, but it would have a shadow of hope that the broken heart will coalesce into a coherent whole. She only wanted it, stability and a sense of comfort and a safe haven in which she could hide.  
She moved matters of education one of the last day of July, when both of them were sitting by the pool, surrounded by peaceful nature, which lay down to sleep. She asked the young man to let her decide what school she wanted to go to. He agreed to her request, because he wanted her to feel at ease in a new school and he wanted her to be friends with him. Within a few days, she found a high school close to their home with a great reputation, she cared for good oceans, because she wanted to apply for fine arts in the future, she wanted the best possible degrees and that the teachers had good competences. They filed documents, she did not have to wait long for a return message and despite her fears of refusal, her doubts were quickly dispelled when a positive answer came, asking her to write on the school's website the subjects she cared the most about. In the columns she marked out objects and workshops that enabled her to develop further. However, there were minor problems when choosing a foreign language. She was not willing to learn a new subject from attitudes, so she decided on advanced Spanish. They asked her for the language school she had been attending for several weeks. It was a standard procedure.  
However, she could not find the documents she needed. She has chosen her brother's number once again. She murmured angrily when she heard the answering machine signal. She dialed a quick message to Chester, hoping to answer her quickly. It did not come quickly, but after a few long moments of waiting, she heard the notification signal. She traced the text with her eyes:

Documents are in the office. Look for them in the drawers, I'm not sure where I put them.  
Chester

She walked slowly to the last door at the end of the corridor. She opened the double wing quietly, entering the bright office. She did not come here often, the last time she was in this room about two weeks ago, asked by the singer to bring him some papers. She closed the door behind her, coming to a desk stuck in the dark oak. She looked at the perfect order on the dark countertop. The laptop with the logo of the gnawed apple was closed, the dormant computer stood in a place of honor. Right next to it was a calendar in a dark frame, big letters arranged for the current year, no unnecessary decorations. A few office trinkets lay in a casket with their designated place. She smiled warmly noticing the dark frame with the photo. She caught a plastic frame in her hands looking at the photograph. A photo of her and Chester taken a few days after her move to Los Angeles. She looked at their taunted faces for a moment, then put the frame back in place, saw the second picture, but did not want to look at her. She had to find the documents she was looking for and she was not going well with the knowledge that she was browsing through private music, and she had to submit papers about the extended foreign language by tomorrow. With great reluctance she opened the first drawer, she did not know anything valuable in it. She felt uncomfortable looking through the drawers, but she did nothing against his will. She pushed back the last drawer, found several folders stacked on top of each other, looked at the tiny piece of "Adoption Documents", the longer she looked at the black cardboard she did not know how to act. She had no reason not to trust Chester. From the moment they met, he did not lie to her or conceal the truth, so she did not want to do that. She picked up the file, searched the next workbook, unexpectedly fell to the floor, bent it in half. She grabbed loosely inserted paper noticing only the signature. She looked intrigued at the thin slanted woman's writing, reminiscent of whether she did not see this characteristic style of writing somewhere anymore. Through her mind ran a letter she had read a few weeks ago at the far end of the park, surrounded by birds singing when she learned the truth about her family and the future. It was the style of her mother. Uncertainly, she opened a document bent in half.

I do not want to ask you a lot, because I'm not sure which decision you will make. I am asking you only one thing, if you take care of Julia, do not let my father approach her. Save her from him! He realizes that sometimes he visits you. Do not let Julie touch her and find out about her. He caused her a lot of pain, when I abandoned her I do not want her to know about Amy, the truth will destroy her. He will not accept the fact that his father has another child and deprives her of her family love.

She put down the letter leaning against a bright, dusty chair, barely swallowing tears of bitterness. What did she feel? Meditations on this man have not improved. The strangling words of the letter that she should never have known hit her heart. How could she understand reluctance and rejection on his part? The longer she was in the letter she was reading, she felt like finding him and doing him harm, just as he hurt her. He renounced it as if he was nothing. A lone fragment in the wind raised in the sky. He, like nothing, has ever chased her away. The resentment she felt for John was even stronger when she read about his new child. He made his life, he is happy as hell, and he condemned her to grow up in this horrible place, She did not want to recall moments from that place. Omeny of her past came to her in the dark night, letting her know. It deprived her of security and the will to live. A stream of bitter words fluttered on her lips:  
— Finished motherfucker — she murmured angrily, wiping at the individual tears from her cheeks.  
She did not intend to shed tears, by which she considered no one. She did not have a father, for her this man was just a fucking giver of semen. He will not feel any grief, by someone who has caused her great distress. She pulled out another folder, described by the name of her language school. She hid the remaining documents in the drawer, took the folder with her, and left the office, trying to erase the image of the letter she had read. She returned to the room, ready to complete the last columns. Typing the name of the school, she heard the quiet sound of the melody. She reached for the phone, noticing the picture and number of the friend displaying her, she rejected the call. She was not willing to talk. She did not want her to feel bitterness and sadness in her voice, she had to understand it herself and swallow those painful words.  
— Princess's wake up — she muttered, unhappy, when her frustrated subconscious reached the call of her brother. She moaned quietly into the fluff of a bright pillow, trying to ignore his insistence — Get up young!  
— I do not want to — she grumbled, grabbing the blanket, lying next to him tightly clinging to him — I want to sleep!  
— Stop complaining and get up! — He urged, pulling off the warm bedspread.  
— I have holidays, I can laze longer — she gave him an angry look, trying to take the blanket away from him.  
— I know, but then you whisper to me that you are sitting alone at home and have no one to speak to. Get up, I'm taking you to the studio.  
— What? — slightly unprepared for his movement, she fell from the bed to the bright panels.  
The man sighed softly, setting the blanket on the cream-colored sofa by the bed.  
— You're going to the label with me, gather!  
— You explain, why should I go there? — with his help she got up from the floor, looking at his impatient face — I asked you not to show me...  
— Julia, we are in the early stages of the album and I can assure you that you will not hear anything but short demo recordings and preliminary sketches of songs.  
— If you say so — she sighed, not having any arguments to oppose him.  
— We leave in an hour. We will have breakfast on the way — he left the eighteen—year—old room, hearing her cry for the bathroom. He laughed softly, entering his bedroom.  
— You should find The Sufferer & The Witness in the glove compartment — he stopped the vehicle when it was stopped again by traffic lights before continuing. He looked at Julie from the corner of her eye, who, bored, chose more music stations in search of interesting music, but could not find anything, disappointed turned off the radio, sitting down with a slightly silent face.  
— How did you know what I was looking for?  
— I got to know your taste a little bit and I know what's interesting — he replied, moving when the lights turned bright green light — You can not hide the fact that in the last week I hear nothing at home but Mcllrath's work — he explained, focusing on the road.  
— I do not think you'll tell me Tim does not have great songs — she said indignantly, pulling out the Rise Against album from inside the storage compartment.  
— I did not say anything like that! I like listening to their band myself.  
The car filled the first notes of Chamber the Cartridge, which enormously pleased the teenager.  
— I think it's better than listening to Shinoda — He felt her piercing eyes look at himself — I've got him enough after eight hours in the studio — he joked, making the eighteen–year–old laugh.  
— I can not help it, it all came to me — She shrugged helplessly, remembering the situation from a few days ago, when in her room you could often hear the rapper's songs, to the brother's amusement and Michael's exasperation.  
— I will never forget how you started to torment him, his own hit — Chester chuckled, entering the parking lot in front of Warner Bros.  
— He asked for it himself — she got out of the vehicle, when the engine in the black BWN went out, matched the step of the brother — He could not mess with me and I warned him.  
The musician laughed, remembering the whole event, but after a while he became serious:  
— I am glad, however, that he is able to help himself. I think he will forget about falling apart, relationship with Smith. You can not hide the fact that you have contributed significantly to the change in his thinking —he remarked rightly.  
— I did not do anything special. Somehow I understand him, I know how he could feel bitter, divorced. Love is sometimes unexpected.  
— I must admit — they broke into the top floor, picking up Julia's pass from the receptionist, allowing her to move freely around the record building without fear of being thrown out by the bodyguards because she was not an employee or an agent.  
— I know you do not like how your achievements stand out and you prefer to be modest, but know that you did a lot for him.  
— Clearly my ears are burning — they stopped to look at a friend who was heading towards them — You spoke about me?  
The siblings looked at each other, sending innocent smiles.  
— Why should we talk about you — said the vocalist — We have more interesting topics for talks.  
— Chazz, do not lie to me, I know that I was the main topic of your conversation.  
— You're right, we talked about you — Julia admitted.  
— Can I know why?  
— No — she said, shaking her head.  
— You're spending too much time with Chester, you're just as mean as he is.  
— Thanks Mike — he sensed the mocking laughter in the voice of the vocalist, but he did not care about his fake agitation.  
— Maybe it's family.  
— It does not suit my young personality!  
—I will not argue with you — Julia admitted, entering the interior of the versatile recording studio.  
She looked around. The walls of the room were decorated in orange colors, many instruments stood against the walls, individual instruments were in the middle of the room, but it was set well enough to allow access to the next rooms and not give the impression of unnecessary crowds. Offered by watching the studio, she did not notice the disappearing vocalists behind the door to the room where there was a large console, a computer, and two couches on the side. She crossed the threshold of the room, stopped in a half-step, hearing a terrible cough. She looked up at Michael, the man could barely catch his breath, his spasmodic breathing, stifling cough did not allow him to speak normally. Chester stood by his side, trying to help him, talking to him quietly.  
— What's happening? — the fires in her eyes took on a somewhat terrified look, and she looked with panic at the choking music.  
— I'll explain later. Give the inhaler in the outer pocket of his bag. Hurry up! — grabbed a black bag lying on the chair, finding a small device in one of the compartments, quickly walked to the musicians giving Mike a device with a medicine.  
— Chester, can you explain what's going on? — She asked, still looking anxiously at Shinoda, who could breathe freely after taking the medicine.  
— Mike did not tell you anything?  
— But what about?  
— I am allergic — dark—haired explained, falling on a nearby chair — I am allergic to mites and dust pollen.  
— Since when do you suffer from it?  
— Less than three years, at first I thought it was just a common cold, but the symptoms got worse. Studies have shown that this is an allergy — he explained with little difficulty.  
— Clearly someone did not quite clean the studio, which gave him another attack - Bennington added, she sensed in his voice a rage — How do I find these assholes from cleaning...  
— Chazz, relax  
— Not Mike, they knew well how important we would be to clean the studio but they ignored it.  
— It could happen to anyone.  
— And you have to suffer through it! I will not leave this matter so!  
— He had an attack again? — they turned around, noticing Brad and Rob entering the studio.  
— Yes.  
— Mike, better go, go, we have to get in here — she watched the situation carefully, and to her surprise, Shinoda listened to his friend's words, leaving the room.  
— I will go find Rebecca — colleagues did not even stop him, he left the studio almost on the run looking for the chief cleaning service.  
— We will not start recording today, shelves do not clean up here — Rob said, entering one of the niches hidden behind the drum set.  
— I often get such attacks — she asked as she rubbed the dust from the dresser.  
— No, allergy attacks him mainly in the autumn, but he takes drugs to minimize the effects, so the attacks are really rare — explained the drummer, looking around carefully not to miss any place.  
She nodded in understanding. They did not have to wait long for Chester to return, who appeared in the studio alongside Dave and Joe.  
— I spoke with Rebecca, she said that recently they changed the cleaning company and did not finish their services. Because they did not carry out all the tasks she wrote down to them — summarizing the conversation with a friend and sister about a fifty—year—old.  
— The effect was visible — Julia muttered, putting the dirty cloth down the sink filled with warm water and some cleaning detergent — They had to do everything quickly, because we collected a lot of dust from the tops — she added, wiping her hands on a dry paper towel.  
— I hope that they will not hire them once again, because I will make an official complaint — he stood next to his sister, looking at his teammates.  
She put her glasses on her eyes, protecting them from the treacherous sunrays. In the last moment she grabbed the shoulder of the bag, which slowly dropped from its absence. She did not want to go back to her apartment in a crowded bus, on such a hot day, when her bus left, she went for a walk home. She liked to be in the air and enjoyed it when she did not have to crumble among people at the time when they often returned to their apartments after a hard day at work.  
However, she did not want to think about what happens in public transport when the school year begins. The new school was not too far from her home, just a few minutes on a skateboard or on foot to see the nearest high school.  
— Julia! — stopped with the conviction that someone was calling her, but after a while she threw this absurd thought out of her head and moved on the way — Julia, wait — she stopped, looking carefully for the person who called her, she saw on one of the paths running towards Roba.  
— Hello, little one — he stopped at her, wrapping a soft kiss on her cheek.  
— Hi, Rob, what are you doing here?  
— I was to meet with a friend, unfortunately he had to return early, because his fiancée needed help and after our meeting — he said with amusement, seeing her questioning look — They are getting married in two months.  
— Are you going to the wedding?  
— Yes, I do not have a ground floor, but I will happily play on their wedding.  
— Maybe you'll tear someone out there — she laughed, poking him gently on the shoulder.  
– I do not think so.  
– You do not tell me you do not want to find a girlfriend? – she looked at him in amazement.  
— Not what I meant.  
— Chopsticks is not a girl — she said, passing through the straps.  
— Very funny, I thought you would save me — he muttered bitterness in his voice.  
— I know, but I'm entertained by people on Twitter — Her voice took on a bit of hilarity, reminding myself of the various entries and fan implications about his potential partner.  
— I have never heard about this portal.  
— Few people know about it, and it is not recognizable in itself.  
— Can you explain how it works?  
The teenager told him about the operation of the portal, which appears from time to time. Bourdon listened attentively to Bennington's words, which brought him closer to the platform.  
— I think you should set up an account there. If you want to quickly give something to the fans, Twitter performs its function well — she finished.  
— You would have to talk about it with Mike or Adam, they deal mainly with social media in this group.  
— Why does not it surprise me – the musician laughed at her words.  
They arrived at Bennington's apartment after long minutes.  
— Will you come in?  
— Not today, I have to do something else in the city. We will meet next time.  
— OK, see you later.  
— Hello, young man — he said farewell, walking away down the street.  
She turned and her attention was drawn to the car standing above the estate vehicle. I did not think that one of the guys came in, some fat was in the studio recording material for the next album, and Dave and Rob, with whom she had just parted, had to let go of meeting because I had to get some documents. She shrugged, taking off her glasses. She went into the flat pulling off her shoes and dropping them into the corner. She took the bag off her shoulder, removing only the phone and a dark folder with lessons, moving into the living room. She paused when her brother's voice came out of the kitchen, the perceptible anger mixed in his words, which she said, but she could not understand them. She approached the room, she did not want to disturb him, but a strange premonition of anxiety did not give her peace, which worried her more than Chester's screams. He rarely raised his voice in her presence, practically did not float. Only the songs were proof of how aggressive he could be. She did not like it. She put down the file and the phone to the dresser, crossing the threshold of the kitchen.  
— Hi, brother, why are you yelling? — She moved to him, not even paying attention to the elderly man in the room.  
— Brother!? — she turned around, noticing a tall man who watched her movements with attention — You do not want me to say that this shit lives with you!? — she sensed a mockery in her voice, and her inner voice gave her thought which seemed rather absurd, but the longer she looked at him something confirmed her in her conviction.  
— You have no right to talk to me like this — she hissed, measuring him with the look of her blue irises.  
— Go young, do not want you to witness an argument — Chester looked at his sister, trying to get him to leave the room. She ignored his words, still looking with anger at their father.  
— Nobody taught you that he welcomes who he comes from.  
— Sorry, dad, but nobody taught me culture – she said it almost with venom.  
— Dad!? Did you not make a mistake?  
— Posted off the speech!  
— How did you find out about her? —He asked the son who only remembered his mother's words to him. Sarah was not wrong in her assumptions. His father was full of falsehood and unjustified bitterness to his daughter, which he left condemning her to live without family love, allowing her to suffer.  
— Mom told me everything. How did you treat her and make her give her to Julie.  
— You do not understand anything! She should never be born!  
Julia's eyes took on a slightly darker color, and individual tears ran down her pale cheeks, but this was not the end of the words of mourning on the part of the man.  
— Your mother committed the greatest stupidity of her life giving birth to this... — he could not even say in words how cruel he thought about this eighteen-year-old who stood for the first time before his face after almost seventeen years. The last time he saw her, how his late wife gave her to an orphanage he chose. He knew that there was no best reputation what was worse, but he did not care, it was important for him to get rid of this bastard.  
— Finish this motherfucker!  
— How are you talking to me?  
— As you deserved, it's just light words that I can treat you with — she shouted.  
— Get out of here, I advise you to leave my house, you will not insult Julia in my presence! — the vocalist dangerously approached his father, ready to throw him out of the apartment.  
— You adopted her? — he remembered the last meeting with Sarah that forced him to sign the papers renouncing paternity over a teenager. He could not understand her behavior, but today he combined the facts by seeing his unwanted daughter in his son's house — How could you commit such a foolishness, this smarkula will destroy your life.  
— Enough of that! The only person who made our family fall apart is you. Get out of my house! You will not hurt her again anymore!  
Offered to argue with his father, he did not see Julia leave the room, and after a moment he heard the door slam shut.  
— She's just as weak as her mother.  
— No, she is not weak, she did not want to see what will happen here.  
She ran out of the apartment, barely holding back her salty tears. She tried to wipe out the painful words that stuck in her heart. She had no idea what to do with herself, she did not want to go back to the shelves he was there, but also did not want to walk around the city alone. As never before, after such fierce conflicts, she needed someone's company. She always left herself alone with her problems, but today something does not allow her to deny it in loneliness. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She did not want to cry through this asshole, he was not worth it. She did not even notice when she stood in front of Michael's house. She did not know why, but she needed to meet him. She knocked quietly, hoping that Shinoda had come back from the studio. She was about to leave when she heard footsteps on the other side and the clatter of the key. She stood face to face with his friend, his happy smile fading as he saw her dim look on her face, and the lurid tears in her eyes slowly ran down her cheeks.  
— Julia, what happened? — he was worried, letting her in.  
— I can stay for a few hours, please, I care about that — She looked at him almost pleadingly.  
— Of course, come — he led her to the living room. She sat on the dark couch, barely holding back the violent sob that had swallowed her body.  
— What happened? — he looked at her with concern about her not the best frame of mind.  
— Nothing special except the fact that I found out that I could die at birth — she said, almost in an icy tone — Finished asshole!  
— Julia, calm down — but his attempts to calm down the teenager came to naught when he saw more tears on her pale cheeks.  
Why was she so weak? She always tried to cope alone with her own problems that had struck her mind, solved the problems she had fallen into, now for the first time in eighteen years she felt powerless in the face of her past. She did not feel sorry for Chester, she would not even dare think about it, he defended it against her father, but that did not let her avoid the cruelty of his words. He treated her like she was nothing. It was an irrelevant thing, throwing her brother away, that he had made the worst mistake of adopting her, but she knew well that he had done the right thing and wanted to take care of it himself, which made her very grateful. She took Michael's mug of hot drink, because she sensed the tea with the herb. She took a sip, trying to focus on his face.  
— Can you tell what happened? Did you argue with Chester?  
— No, you know that we may argue, but we never make arguments.  
— So what happened?  
— Meeting after years — she explained, feeling the tea slowly begin to work, and she could feel calm.  
— Father — he said with a sigh.  
— Yes.  
— Will you say what happened there? — he insisted, but still reluctantly wanted to tell him about events from a few minutes ago.  
— I want to forget about it!  
— I understand — He nodded, slid a slightly chilly hand into his grip, clasped his fingers on her wrist, gave him a light smile, adding:  
— I would like to tell you, but I want to understand how people can be mean.  
— You do not understand the cruelty of people who would be close to you or strangers. We have no idea what is sitting in their minds trying to discourage people from living, the only remedy found is love, unconditional feeling of safety and care — he explained calmly, not taking his hand from her grasp, she did not shy away from his touch just as a few weeks earlier.  
— Such people should not be born!  
He did not answer her words, unable to put what sat in his mind.  
He leaned against the kitchen counter, allowing Julia to take a nap, still thinking about her words. What could have happened that she was reluctant to return to her apartment. He grabbed the phone, glancing at the display to see his friend's number. He pressed the green receiver, putting the small device to his ear:  
— Hi Mike — heard Chester's concerned voice on the other side — Are you Julia? She did not take a phone with me and I have no idea where it might be.  
— Yes, he is asleep — he felt the relief of the singer.  
— I've been looking for her for an hour.  
— You can tell me what happened. She came to me almost tearfully asking me to stay with me for a few hours. What happened between you?  
— My father was with me. I will explain everything to you when I come.  
— Okay, I'll wait — he put down the phone, looking into the living room, Julia was still unaware of his conversation with Bennington, sleeping in a peaceful sleep. Moments later he heard a knock. He rushed to let his friend in.  
— Where is?  
— In the living room, he is asleep — he explained, but he knew that he wanted to be sure of his sister's condition and he was not surprised by the fact that he looked into the main room.  
— Can you explain what happened to me?  
— My father was with me — he explained, sipping a sip of coffee.  
— What did he want? He does not come to you often— Michael's piercing gaze pierced him through.  
— I know. He wanted me to meet Amy.  
— Fucking bastard — they turned around hearing the vengeful voice of Julia, the teenager stood on the threshold of the door, awake, the strands of her hair were a bit disheveled.  
— Did you find a mother's letter? — his question, or rather, the statement hung in the air.  
— Sorry, she did not want to.  
— I am not angry. I wanted to save you — he sighed.  
— I know and understand, I should not read this letter. I am told to talk about obedience and he did not behave himself well — she got angry, picked up a glass of lemonade from the brunet.  
— Julia, please do not talk about him, do not want you to worry about unnecessarily.  
— My only problem is he! She clenched her hands on the glass, her knuckles dangerously white.  
— You know that he has no rights to you, his mother deprived him of your protection.  
— I know, but he had no right to challenge me — she murmured angrily, clenching her hand on the light glass.  
— Look, I do not like his behavior, he came today to meet Amy, but I do not think I'm a sister, you're just my family —he explained calmly, coming to her.  
Mike sat at the bar, not wanting to discuss the siblings, he was still unaware of what had happened there, he did not intend to disturb them and ask about the details of an earlier family meeting, as he could have noticed in friendly relations.  
— She would have died — she was never vindictive or did not wish someone death but aware that her father had a new daughter and he abandoned her cruelly hurt. She did not notice how the glass in her hand cracked into a million pieces, and a few shards stuck in her skin hurting extremely painfully, crimson blood flowed after her wrist falling on bright tiles. She hissed softly in pain, feeling the particles of glass while moving the wrist. She looked at the wounded hand that was dripping blood. She did not have to wait long for the men's reactions. She grabbed a light towel from Michael, allowing them to look at the deep wounds.  
— It does not look good. We're going to the hospital — Chester said, noting the many deep wounds that still held the shards of broken glass — Mike, would you drive us?  
— Sure, the car is in front of the house, I'll go for the keys — ran out of the kitchen, climbing the dark steps.  
— Are you okay? — he asked worriedly, looking carefully at his sister who only nodded, and a grimace of pain ran through her face.  
They reached the hospital after a short while, they came to the registration, at which there was no queue, there was only an elderly woman who was talking to the recorder.  
— What's wrong? — She asked, in a business voice.  
— My sister broke a glass with her whole hand cut — explained the dark-haired brunette, looking at the dark-haired girl, her face visibly pale, which worried him when she tried not to fall. He saw that he did not feel well when more drops of blood flowed from the wounds. She clung to her friend's shoulder as her head spun dangerously, and Mike noticed her slightly distant gaze, hugged her waist, trying to protect her from a potential fall.  
— Come on — she said to the teenager, who approached the woman with some difficulty — Can you show me? — She slowly moved away from the towel soaked in blood, muttered softly in pain — It looks serious, I'll take a doctor soon, please wait — she walked away from the corridor. She returned in the presence of a surgeon.  
— Can I look? — he asked.  
She nodded as she watched as the doctor gently looks at the pounded glass.  
— I'm taking her to research right away. Please, wait here — he turned to the men, taking the high school girl for an X-ray examination.  
The impatient waited for some information about Julia's condition. Chester walked restlessly after waiting, wondering why the study lasted so long, friend, he knew what emotions to beat him so he did not even try to calm him, he knew that it would not bring the intended results. After two hours, a doctor appeared in the corridor, who accepted the young patient.  
— Are you from the Julia Bennington family?  
— Yes, I am her brother— said the singer, rising from an uncomfortable chair — What about Julia?  
— It seems that everything went through without complications. We took out the glass shards, the wounds were quite deep, there were no seams. We stiffened the hand and will have to wear it for the next two weeks.  
— Thank you doctor.  
— It's my job.  
— Could I take her?  
— It will only prepare an extract and you can take your sister home — he explained as he left the office, long not having to wait for a teenager. She appeared in the presence of an elderly nurse who smiled warmly.  
— I leave you in good sunshine hands. The second time try to smash something else so that your friend's kitchen does not suffer – she laughed at the old woman's words.  
— Nothing happened outside of the broken glass — Shinoda chuckled.  
— I'm to understand that it's Mr. Michael, the shipwreck's owner.  
— Yes.  
— Let them look at this beauty the second time, because he does not want to meet her with a cut face.  
— We'll be careful — Chester said, watching the plump nurse leave.  
The doctor returned after a while with an extract and a prescription for painkillers and dressings, which he had to change every two days. They left the hospital, enjoying the morning sun.


	13. TOM 1— REBEL : 12 —  WILL YOU RECORD MY VOICE?

He valued moments of silence and respite, he liked to sit in the privacy of the studio, focusing on the subsequent verses of the songs. Professionalism was his second nature. He did not like bugs or mistakes that might have happened to him. He paid a lot of attention to his work. He was happy that he could bring a lot of good through his interests. Get pleasure and satisfaction that enabled him to record more songs on their albums. He grabbed a pencil, writing down text paragraphs.

Why do I have to take this?  
Why do there something I can do  
Isn't myself finally say this  
To make I have to see this through?

— Do not even try to show it to him — He looked up from the sheet of paper.  
— Why you look at it skeptically, it's just one paragraph of the text that caught my attention.  
— As you said, it's just one verse and it does not mean anything! — He put down the pencil with a quiet sigh, Julia appeared in the studio door, her bright eyes took on a slightly darker color. He could not help but notice that her eyes darkened as emotions tormented her mind. The blue of the ocean replaces the color of the rough sea, like waves during a storm, but her gaze was always able to draw attention, which he could not miss during this longer familiarity.  
— You have no reason to get angry, little one — Chester stepped in close behind her, holding a piece of paper folded in half.  
— Please, I'm more foolish in his eyes when he sees it! — her tone took on a slightly harsher tone, and he wondered what had so disturbed the young girl.  
— I do not think so — He saw Bennington's light smile as he met his eyes. The teenager was still busy with her brother, she did not notice the music present in the studio.  
Julia, look at this text only — he knew the stubbornness of the vocalist well and was ready to convince his sister that he was right, but Chester underestimated one thing that linked them both. The high school student did not belong to submissive people, so she quickly did not put her arms on the battlefield. The personalities that shared them were unusually noticeable, the stubbornness that linked them came to light as soon as they came to a discussion where they had a change of mind. He did not ask who would compromise, he was curious about it, but what they are talking about.  
— No!  
— Hey. Julio, what irritated you so much? — He looked from under the frozen eyelids to the upset girl.  
— Do not even dare — teenagers seeing that her brother is ready to show the text she wrote this morning, she went into his words before he could speak. The wounded hand still ached slightly when she made sudden movements, she wished she broke the glass, which caused her to have problems with writing or even drawing more drawings. Mike did not blame her for the situation when she wanted to apologize to him for the accident she caused. He was happy that she did not hold negative emotions, only somehow tame them, it ended up unpleasantly for her, because a visit to the hospital with a wounded hand, however, as he jokingly described it, the glass can always be bought back and she had to stay for two weeks to wear stitches that were sometimes unpleasant to her, especially when changing dressings, but she did not dare to complain, she was a girl who did not like to complain if something worried or troubled her.  
— Either you show it to him or me — he finally said, looking hard at the teenager.  
— No way!  
— If you put a case like this — he gave his friend the written text he brought with him — Look at this, I think it's a good material, though Julia thinks otherwise — He looked at the girl who sat in a comfortable swivel chair, folding her arms across her chest.  
— I still say it's the lowest flight — she insisted, grabbing the notebook on the console, opening it on the free side, lending a dark pencil lying nearby.  
— I do not think so — Bennington insisted, looking at his sister, who, with unwillingness to strain her hand, sketched the latest logos of her favorite band to somehow banish the boredom:

You say you've hurt for so long  
That pain isn't something new  
But, don't think the things that they've done  
Predict what you're going to do

The truth is that trust is a gift  
It's something we all can lose  
So hold on, it's not where it goes  
It's where it can lead you to

— He's pretty good — Michael admitted, reading the two—paragraph text, saw in it Julia's spelling style, her writing was always sloping and slightly rounded, even writing small verses was always polished and neat, no unnecessary deletions or additions. She liked to look after the aesthetics of not only her works but also the essays or columns she created.  
— Can you repeat it louder? — he turned to his friend, looking triumphantly at the slightly disturbed high school student.  
— Chester, I'm not deaf! You are unbearable today — she sighed with irritation, putting the notebook aside.  
— Thanks young.  
— I'm going for a walk. Mike, be nice and embrace this jerk — he laughed softly at her words, left the studio, passing Hahn into the studio on the way.  
— I do not want to be not nice, but Julia is offended? — A man approached them, standing by Michael's side.  
— No — said the dark-haired man, putting the card away from the konsole – She said she had a different point of view on a case and decided that she would rather not argue.  
— What do you mean by that?  
— I showed Mike the text she wrote today, though she argued with me that I would not reveal it to him. I could respect her opinion, but I thought he should look at it.  
— She'll be upset at you.  
— Not necessarily, maybe she showed this attitude, because she was really afraid of his reaction.  
— Are you sure?  
— I've met her enough to know when she's angry at me, and when she's pretending — he said, sitting down in one of the armchairs.  
— You're very self-confident — Joe remarked, leaning against one of the synthesizers.  
— Julia may look like a person who defends herself as something she does not like, but I think that in my heart she still has fear that has accompanied her for so many years — he began his monologue — She was instructed not to show in public that her abilities, she had to do it in the comfort of her room, she would not let her grow, if she did, she would act alone without telling anyone. I see in it a huge potential, however, stifled by these years of uncertainty. Julia is extremely mature for her age, values other values than her peers. You see sometimes that she does not behave like an ordinary eighteen–year–old woman, or rather a woman with deep experiences but does not want to relate to it, she prefers to be anonymous and live like any kid of her age — he finished, feeling the eyes of his friends.  
— Yes, but she should not take the last moments of her youth.  
— I'll tell you that parties or boisterous games are not hers — Chester said, understanding the words he had given to his co-worker.  
— He prefers to sit more in the corner and paint.  
— That's right, Mike, he has the soul of the artist.  
— I go out for five minutes, and this one is already talking to me — he looked around in her voice, standing at the door with a mug of coffee in his hand. She looked at him from under the slightly raised eyebrows, shrugged her shoulders, giving her an innocent smile — I thought that when I come back, you will work, but you have a chat about me — she said, sitting on one of the couches.  
— You did not want to come.  
— Close yourself, because you have to linger as never before leaving home!  
— I love you too — he said in a slightly amused voice.  
— A typical morning in the company of the Benningtons — Michael said suddenly, looking at the cheered friend and his younger sister who listened to the music.  
— Mike, keep your mouth hut — the girl warned him, waving the pencil she held.  
— Okay, we're getting to work — Joe said.  
— Brad, Dave and Rob will not come?  
— We are not working on music today, only vocals so they are not necessarily needed.  
— I came for entertainment purposes — replied the Korean, looking at the girl.  
— Does it always look like this? — She asked him as he sat down next to her, arranging his legs on the low table, feeling his eyes on him, but she did not feel comfortable in some way. The band's presence made her happy, had no reason not to trust them and feel uncomfortable in some way. There were, however, moments of uneasiness that wound her heart, but she tried to erase moments of fear from her memory. She was not afraid that they would hurt her. She had the impression that he wanted to protect her from the evil of this world, but she did not speak about it aloud, but she felt their care and devotion.  
— Yes, first we try to work on the music, if we feel that we are happy with the effect. We try to match the vocals and lyrics, not necessarily songs are always suitable for the final mix to the album. However, even if we're working on demo recordings, we try to ensure that the effect is also the same.  
— It does not become a bit of a monotony?  
— No, if you know what you are working on, each group has different stages of working on your own album, we have worked out this and we work well — he explained calmly, watching Michael, who recorded another vocal part of his friend.  
— I definitely do not approve of this text — said Louis, entering the room — Mike, we have to change him.  
— We have changed it many times, we thought we would leave it like that — he said in a slightly tired voice.  
— I know, but I can not empathize with this text — he grumbled, grabbed the page of the song they were recording, watching it carefully, trying to change something.  
— Are you still pushing Faer?  
— Yes, but these verses do not go well — Shinoda sighed, turning to his friends.  
— Did you try to sing it to Mike?  
— No — he admitted bluntly, looking through the text of the song he was talking about, looking closely at the recorded words, trying to come up with a different concept for the song. He did not like to stand behind the microphone and sing, he always thought he was getting better rap from vocals, he could hardly convince a friend on the last record to sing one of their ballads.  
— Mike, you could be nice and sing — she broke away from the drawing that was made under her hand, paying attention to the brunette who showed reluctance about his voice.  
— Excuse me JuliA, but I can not stand how I sing!  
— I would never say so — she got up from the comfortable sofa, approached him slowly, leaned against the console with many buttons and sliders — Listening to your last album, I was particularly drawn to In Between, I do not conceal that I was moved to hear this single and think that you should sing more often because it goes very well.  
— I'm not sure, Chester is more in control of his voice, I prefer to entrust such works to me than to myself.  
— Please do it for me.  
— I refuse.  
— Mike, I really respect you and I would love to hear you sing.  
— No — the rapper did not want to succumb to his younger friend, he was afraid of his voice and in particular that something was wrong, he did not want to disappoint her, and he put his hopes in it.  
— Please, Mike, I want to hear your singing.  
— Do not let the girl persuade you — said a friend, approaching him, pulling toward the cabins.  
— I'm telling you that this is not a good idea.  
— Mike, you know I like you very much, but if you once again think that you have no talent, I will throw you out the window myself — muttered Bennington.  
— Okay, but I have one request? — he did not want to argue with his friends any longer, he succumbed to persuading them, but since he met Julie, he had quiet intentions that he could now fulfill.  
— I will sing the vocal to Faer — he left — I want to, but then you would sing with me — he turned directly to the friend who looked in disbelief at him.  
— I have to sing!? — she was surprised sincerely — No Mike is not a good idea! I do not have a voice.  
— It can not be that bad, if Chester can sing, you must be able to.  
— No.  
— Do not look at me — the musician said, feeling the piercing gazes of his friends on him — She never dared to sing in my presence. I do not hide that he can play the piano and guitar, but I have never heard her and can not, say how much he can — he felt his sister's look on himself, turned to her, noticed her gentle smile, triumph lurking in her joyful face, as if being happy that she did not play any song in his presence.  
— Julia, I care a lot about that  
— You never wanted to sing a song?  
— It's enough for me to hear my favorite songs sometimes. I am not drawn to singing and performing on stage — she replied.  
— I did not mean you would come on the stage, just want to sing with you — he approached her, reaching out to her, looked at him with distrust, was skeptical about his voice. She could sing the song of her favorite bands in the comfort of the room when no one heard her, but to dare to perform in a duet with her favorite singer was something that she never counted on.  
— Young, I am too, curious as you sing, do not be begged and sing with him — Chester interjected.  
She looked at their faces uncertainly.  
— I'm telling you that this is not the best idea because I have a terrible voice.  
— Until you convince yourself, you'll still be in the feeling that you can not sing — the man in front of her said.  
— Okay, I'll agree, but never let me do this again! — She caught his hand, moving into the recording booth.  
— Do you have a suggestion? — she asked brunet, who was browsing the songs on his phone.  
— You know the Roadside track from Rise Against?  
— Of course I know! I love this band! — she said in an excited voice, and a joyful smile brightened her face. The memory of her other favorite fat gave her enthusiasm, and especially when Mike suggested singing the song of the band Mcilrath.  
— Especially Tim’s — she heard in Chester's loudspeakers — Be careful that this one is not jealous.  
— I told you I do not like you ?!  
— This morning, as I tried to get you out of bed — Louis laughed.  
— So you know the lyrics of the song?  
She nodded, her joyful expression not leaving her. Roadside was one of her beloved tracks of this fat, she often listened to her when she did not feel well enough to improve her mood a bit. Shinoda asked for a background music. Come on, she was still embarrassed that she could sing with him, one of her favorite songs swallowed fear and joined him.  
— I must admit that you've done quite well — the rapper admitted as they sat on the recorded piece, listening to it on large speakers built in different parts of the room.  
— I told you, I can not sing! — she denied it.  
— Well, I'm glad, but you decided.  
— I did it because you asked me to do it, so now let's do our contract and record Fear — he laughed at her words, back into the microphone.  
She was sitting on the edge of the pool, submerging her feet in the fairly warm water, looking at the slightly choppy water under the influence of small movements. She loved swimming for free time, water was her element, which she could spend many hours under the surface of water, with reluctance to leave it. Come, she liked swimming, she never reported to any swimming competition, she did not feel good competing with other participants. Medals and cups were not her priority, it did not count for her. She jumped off the warm tiles, lined by the pool, submerging into the warm water. She held her breath, swimming at the bottom of the pool. She opened her eyes when Chester's exclamation reached her deeply. She emerged from the water, looking at the man standing on the edge.  
— What happened? — She asked, wiping her face with the accumulated water so that she could look freely.  
— I invited guys tonight, we want to do a little party. Will you help me prepare everything? — he crouched on the edge of the water.  
— Sure.  
— I also invited Katline not to sit alone.  
— You know, I have met with you so many times, that it does not make a difference — she said, getting out from under the warm water — I'm happy to meet her — she added, wrapping herself with a towel — I will dress and come back to you.  
Chester returned to the living room looking for keys from the car and wallet. He stopped at the dresser, hearing the sound of a quiet melody. He took the phone out of his pocket, looking at the name of the interlocutor.  
— Hi Ryan. What happened?  
— Hey man, we have to meet, take the last corrections on the album. You have not forgotten? — heard the slightly worried voice of Shnck.  
— No. When do you want to do that?  
— I talked to the guys and everyone is eager to meet in two days.  
— Well.  
— Just do not be late. I know you're recording a new album, but...  
— Ryan will be tere – he assured him, hearing the sound of footsteps — I have to finish now. We see each other in two days — he said goodbye, hiding the phone.  
Recent family events and finding Julia caused him to put things aside for his solo album. It will set the premiere of the album, but they still have no finished songs. He asked the boys to stop recording a bit, letting Ryan's band record the material. However, they had to go back to the studio and finish the album and mix all the songs. He sighed quietly when Julia appeared beside him.  
— Did something happen? — she asked curious about his absent gaze.  
— No. Come on — they left the house, entering the vehicle — Mike said he would bring someone — he said as they drove to the nearest store.  
— He said who it is?  
— No —stopped at the next intersection, when the lights took on, look at the bloody red — Sam, I wonder who it could be.  
— You do not think he'll bring Taylor? — she fixed her eyes with her dark irises  
— I would not go to this statement. He's been storming when he wants to talk to him about it, so Smith's out of the way – he replied as they stopped in the parking lot.  
She was interested in the fact who he could invite Shinoda who this mysterious person was. By nature, she was a person she did not like to inquire into various matters and wait for the development of events. She could not resist the interest in this person's identity. Even Chester was sincerely interested in Shinoda's guest.  
In the evening, they sat in a prepared playroom, waiting for invited friends. Anika was not interested, she hid in Bennington's bedroom, wanting to sleep through the noise. The teenager went down to the living room. She was wearing a blue dress, decorated with a bow of the same color. The black corset was perfectly attached to her body. The cut of the dress was simple and without unnecessary decorations. Black high heels exposed her shapely long legs. A delicate bracelet hung on the wrist, it was one jewelry she wore. She did not like unnecessary decorations in her dress. Her hair was gently waving on her shoulders, she lowered it so that it would fall freely on her back. On her advice, Kate did not do heavy make-up, she only determined the look, adding a delicate lipstick to her lips.  
— You look beautifully tiny —she smiled at the man's comment. He looked at him, tonight he had dropped the loose T—shirts he liked to wear, putting on a bright shirt to black pants.  
— First time I know you in your shirt — she approached him, looking at him carefully — Fits you — she added.  
— It's not my style, but sometimes I like to dress them — he laughed — Shirts prefer to wear Mike.  
— You can not miss it. It suits him.  
— Sister, do not I know something? — He looked at her from under the lightly closed eyelids.  
— I just said it looks good. Do not imagine things that will never happen — a szatynka was outraged, sitting down on one of the armchairs.  
— Say, you never liked it? — he was curious to feel his sister, he knew well that every girl or teenager experience a period when they crush in their favorite author, creator, actor or musician. He was curious if his sister also survived the period of teenage infatuation. He was shocked by such a violent reaction to his words, he knew well what respect and appreciation he was treating Michael, he thought that he could be the person to whom Julia lived her youthful feelings.  
— If you ask me if I have a crush on him, I will tell you at once that my youth is infatuated with me — Her voice broke him from his thoughts, he looked at her, and she went on — Yes, I admire Mike, but always I treated him as a person, from which I can take an example, not once I raised or inspired him. I am glad that I could get to know him, it means a lot to me that I met you or boys, because I think every fan of your dreams — he laughed at her statement, admitting her right. She had the pleasure of meeting them, she repeatedly said that in her life she did not expect her events to be so. She was grateful to him that, despite many years of family secrets, he agreed to fulfill his mother's last request. She gained a family she undoubtedly lacked. She learned to live alone, now he could see her ordinary teenager with dreams and life ambitions. She found what she was looking for, love and a peaceful place without worrying about something to worry her — You became a family for me, for which I thank you very much.  
— You do not have to thank. If I had to make the same decision the second time, no doubt he did the same.  
— It means a lot to me, it's nothing to you, I feel like I have lost my life for the second time — She could not hide the joy that she had overcome after moving and changing her surroundings. She broke free of the stifling fumes of the past she had longed to forget and start all over again. As if she just was born. The blisters that suffocated her were slowly burning, and her joy was more and more frequent in her heart.  
— Breaking with the past is not easy, but you need support that will let you forget it — she sat on the edge of the couch — Let yourself live in the present and forget what worried you — felt her arms, surprised her gesture. Julia was a person who rarely shows her feelings, and the more she is touched by the touch of another person, only she and Mike let herself be hugged. She moved away from others when they wanted to show her feelings through gesture, but over time the barrier faded, she had moments in which she rejected the boys, but she gave herself more and more opportunities. He allowed himself to embrace her affectionately, but for a long time they were not allowed to stay in this state when a happy melody resounded in the apartment, the teenager moved away from him, rising from the couch. She turned over her shoulder to look at him, gave him a slight smile and then went to the front door. He followed her, he reached her when she greeted Katline.  
— I brought something for us — she laughed, holding a bottle of red wine in her hands.  
— I should not drink, I'm underage — Kate only laughed, pushing her bottle of drink into her hands  
— I will not believe that you have never raged as a kid and did not try alcohol — the girl replied, greeting a friend — We will drink it, let them drink more percent — she added with a Lough — I think Chester will not oppose and somehow controlled  
— I did not even think about it — the vocalist from the second room shouted back —Julia is almost adult. I am responsible for her, but I do not intend to deny her anything. I was no better at her age myself - he remarked, returning to the living room with a mug of hot coffee for which she asked for a gray cheese.  
— Crazy juvenile years. Madness until dawn, I do not hide that sometimes she misses it — she revealed her memories, which she could share with an elderly man. — I know, but it's not so much fun then.  
— How long do you know each other? — Julia broke into the conversation, watching the couple.  
— I met Chester as he moved to the new school, he was in the last high school class I was just beginning. He poured a whole cup of coffee on me — dreamily returned to the years of his youth and incident, which seemed to her at the time deliberate on the part of the musician, but something enabled them to catch a common language and topics for conversations, which turned into a long–term friendship.  
— Will you keep reminding me of that!? — irritation was in the dark eyes of Bennington, because his friend reminded him of this situation at every possible opportunity. However, he did not feel sorry for her, since then he found a perfect person who always understood him. They had many interesting situations in their lives, which they remembered for long hours of conversations. It did not allow them to lose contact and their friendship survived.  
— Yes, it was my new dress and you were reckless — there was a little verbal sling in it.  
— I apologized to you and gave you what you want more for the laundry?  
— On Friday you go to the cinema with me — she used his moments without attention, wanting to take him to the latest movie, but she could not bear his stubbornness.  
— If you think you'll take me on this romance, you've miscalculated it!  
— Kate attacks — they turned around, noticing Brad, Dave, Joe, and Rob in the salon.  
— Hi guys — she went to greet her friends.  
— What do you want to take him? — Dave wondered as they sat in the living room waiting for the last guests that evening.  
— Some kind of new romance came to the cinemas. She got two tickets at work — answered the vocalist — So he tries to convince me to go.  
— I can go with you if you do not have company — Julia said, as Katline had pointed out.  
— You are willing?  
— Of course — she said with a cheerful smile — You know, guys prefer something to happen in the movie would be an interesting action. Bloodshed and adrenaline is more interesting than the idea of love kept in the movie — they laughed at seeing the angry look of men on themselves.  
— Do you think this is not interesting? — dark—haired brunette with a storm of curls on his head.  
— No — said the teenager with a Lough — I prefer a romance like calling it bloodshed.  
— I thought you did not like such movies — Joe said, remembering their movie nights and her dislike about movies about love.  
Rob watched the exchange with undisguised amusement, I preferred not to stick to this discussion, because there was always an exchange of views between them, if they disagreed. He laid back in his chair, drinking a sip of juice. He spent the last week thinking about the wedding of a friend. He did not know if it would be a good idea to ask his friend to accompany him. They knew each other relatively soon, he was not sure of her reaction, which he would say at his request. Driven by the quiet melody spreading around the house, he rose from a comfortable piece of furniture. The discussion that took place between siblings and guests was troubling that I did not get to them, I'm surprised by the doorbell. He opened the door, smiling Shinoda stood in the doorway with a friend. He was amazed by the sight of the man who accompanied him. He had not seen him for many years, the last time they met when they released their debut album. In spite of so many years he was a bit tighter, he was no longer a kid who had his success among his friends, wearing loose sweat clothes, he was replaced by a comfortable smooth shirt and fitted trousers. The eternally ruffled dark, black-raven hair was styled. He could see that despite several years he still did not lose his attractiveness. The look of his bright irises could still attract the attention of not one girl.  
— Mark, how nice to see you — he let them in the entrance, letting Wakefield hug himself.  
He was pleased to see him, because he valued his friendship in school years. The roads that separated them at the beginning of their activities resulted in the loss of contact, but they never forgot about it. He was still part of their fat, even though they had not seen each other for many years.  
— Mutually Rob, I thought you would not recognize me — the man laughed.  
— You have not changed much since our last meeting, maybe you have put on some weight — he added a bit with a cheerful smile, causing laughter from an elderly man.  
— I've come for years.  
— How to all of us — he added.  
— Where are the hosts? Mike interrupted their conversation as they crossed the corridor.  
— There is a discussion between the views of men versus women — the drummer replied, hurriedly explained when he saw Michael's questioning gaze — A longer story, I will tell you later — entered the salon, where the discussion between the band and the girls continued. Kate, who liked to argue for hours to put on her view, did not lose her vigor.  
— You know you will not win anyway — Katline said boldly, throwing her eyes at her bright eyes.  
— Do not be sure of that beauty.  
Rob could feel Michael and Mark on him, shrugged.  
— Chester, you have guests — he approached friends, noting the vocalist's attention.  
— The end of this discussion — he said, rising from the couch, approaching Shinoda and Wakefield, greeting the musician and colleague — Nice to see you, Mark.  
— Hi Chester, I'm glad I can meet again — he replied with a cheerful smile.  
— Mark, what are you doing here? — Dave looked over his shoulder to learn what was troubling this little confusion, the corner of his mouth rose up as he spotted his friend.  
— I would like to know that myself. Mike has dragged me here — he explained, feeling his piercing look at himself — All in all, I'm glad to see you — he added, greeting his classmates.  
— Do you remember Katline? — Chester asked, pointing to his best friend.  
— Kate, who liked to make a fuss wherever she appeared. Of course — he laughed kissing the young woman on the cheek — And this beauty I see for the first time — the presence of a young girl, who with uncertainty approached them, stood at his brother's side, did not escape his attention.  
— This is my sister Julia — the vocalist introduced him to a teenager who was still looking at the dark-haired face with unseen fear.  
— Julia, this is our friend from school years Mark — Mike undertook the task of meeting a high school student with his friend from his youth, but also the person with whom he began to create music, but the man's willingness quickly weakened when he could not see the positives of their beginnings. Resigned, he left the group, but he did not want to forget about years of friendship with a kid from the sandbox.  
— Please, just say that you're not called Wakefield — she said in a weak voice, her cheeks suddenly white, she did not know why, but she thought she could stand in the presence of a musician who knew only one band from their beginnings.  
— It seems to me that's my last name — a man laughed, greeting the girl — Are you okay? — He was worried, noticing her face as pale as paper.  
— You want to get rid of me from this world! — She moaned weakly, hearing the group's laughter.  
— We're not planning on killing you — she felt Delson's arm on her shoulders.  
— You are waiting for my Heath — she murmured angrily, staring at the amused members of the musical crowd. Did you know that? She turned to Bennington, who was looking at the whole situation.  
— No — he answered honestly, he was surprised by Marek's presence. The last time he met him after the premiere of the first album, when he was invited to the party to celebrate the success of their album. He remembered their conversation well when he was playing in Delson's apartment and remembered it well. He was not surprised by such a violent reaction of an eighteen—year—old. She received something that no other fan of their team will experience. The opportunity to meet the vocalist Xero, from which the great adventure began, was undoubtedly unique. Mark was part of their fat despite his decision to leave always had their place in their circle. It would have seemed strange, but between, but during the first meeting between Chester and Mark you could not feel any rivalry. There was no verbal push between them. They were always keen to talk and despite Bennington replacing Mark they were in good contact.  
Julia dropped to one of the armchairs, hiding her face in her hands, the fact that Wakefield was meeting did not come to her. The person in her place thought that this is not much, however, although she did not refer to the fact that she is a fan of Linkin Park, she did not think that she would ever meet the singer Xero, the group from which everything began. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up, meeting Shinoda's dark gaze.  
— Excuse me for interfering, but why is she so pale?  
— Julia is a fan of the boys' team —Katline hurried to explain when Mike wanted to make sure of the girl's well–being — The meeting with you made her shock.  
— She did not expect to meet you too — Dave finished — Julia, are you okay? — he crouched beside her, he saw that her eyes soften a little, and the astonishment slowly disappears, and the vivid colors that have resolved from her face take on their colors.  
— Yes — she replied, her voice already slightly controlled.  
— No more surprises like that! Shinoda, this is especially about you — he looked at him threateningly and he just laughed softly.  
— I can not promise you that.  
— You'll have my death on my conscience — she said, rising from the couch.  
They came late at night and after no agreements or awkward situations there were no traces. Drinks a bit relaxed the tense atmosphere, good fun was synonymous with tonight. Kate and Julia were still invited to the dance, and they threw away the heels as they slowly began to hurt their calves in a way that made their men laugh.  
— I do not dance anymore! — An eighteen—year—old complained, when she fell on the couch next to an older friend, because the last harras with Marek. She had to admit that Wakefield was a great dancer and he could be a great dancer in the dance, and she felt that he took lessons that allowed him to show off such great skills.  
— Will not you even dance with me? — Michael stood before her with his famous smile.  
— No! She moaned, rubbing her aching feet.  
— First time I hear something refused him — said a little stunned by the words of Hahn girl, causing joy among friends.  
— Joe, I heard that — she said in a raised voice, resting her head on the shoulder of the young woman.  
— I know, but it's not like you.  
— You did not know me well yet — she replied, giving him the look of her bright irises.  
The fun lasted for a long time, when the last guest fell asleep in the sky stood the first rays of the sun.


	14. TOM 1— REBEL : 13 — DREAMS ARE PART OF YOUR LIFE

— I can not believe you got these tickets — she said excitedly, looking at the happy man. He stopped the vehicle when the red signaling diode was lit — I thought that they sold off all the tickets and especially under the stage. How did you do that? — she was intrigued by the fact that Michael got a place at the railings, despite the fact that Rise Against was not as recognizable as the band's music, they enjoyed their audience. Their last album contributed to this mainly. They gained popularity, of which she was undoubtedly happy, she was present at the band since Lucy interested her with the sounds of electric guitars and strong percussion. Tim McIlrath's group was also her path to Linkin Park's music. She could not get over it when Mike showed up at her apartment with two concert tickets at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater, which made her more amazed when he gave her a pass to go backstage.  
— He has contacts and contacts — he only smiled with a glint in his eye. She was happy that he could somehow make her happy, he liked to look at her joy, because her happiness brought him back to the lost colors of life. He found his soul mate in it, despite the age he shared, he felt that he would always be able to come in and talk frankly about what tiresome or worries them. It would seem suralistic, that in such a young girl he found a lost part of the soul, but he did not want to think, he preferred to enjoy the moments he could spend with her. He listened to his colleagues' conversation only a few days earlier and he heard their discussions about him and Julia clearly. Do not fully remember its content, however, from what he understood, enjoyed the fact that he and the high school student have a positive influence on themselves what is most important in their presence seem to forget about the hardships of their lives, problems or doubts. He had to share their opinion, because they only gave the truth that they did not admit to themselves.  
— Mike, I really do not like secrets, tell me how you got them? —He laughed softly at her words of curiosity as they crossed the boundaries of Chula Vista.  
— Then it will not be a surprise — he hastened with explanations, the curiosity of the teenager was contagious. He wanted her to know what he planned after the concert. The contacts in the musical world were very useful, especially at the moment when he wanted to meet Julie with his good friend.  
— Mike! — She murmured impatiently, correcting the black cap he had once left with the Benningtons, he could not help noticing that his friend had moved creative creativity, because on the dark canvas she painted the logo of the hardcore band, the dark t-shirt she was wearing also came from under her hands. Speaking with Chester this morning, he could not hide his amusement when he told him about his sister's night espadas. Full of energy, she could not sleep the night tonight. She found his hat with a visor and a T-shirt drawing paintings on dark materials.  
— You will find out after the concert — he replied calmly, turning into one of the side streets.  
— I'm still surprised that Chester went so far to compromise on this koncert — she said suddenly, remembering the conversation with her brother. She did not think she would agree so quickly that she would spend the whole day with him, and even a return under the dark cover of the night would not bother him at all.  
— Do you think he did not go to concerts your age? — he said, looking at the navigation, to make sure how long to overcome. He was satisfied with the fact that in twenty minutes they would be under the stage.  
— I know he went because he told me himself, but the fact is more interesting to me...  
— He agreed to go with me. Do you mean it?  
— I must admit, yes — she said, a bit embroiled in his words and in how simple he had presented her thoughts.  
— He knows he can trust me. We've known each other for ten years and if anything happened. I will not let it hurt you — She looked at him with slight disbelief in her eyes, but she had no doubt not to trust him. She put a lot of trust in him in her heart, she was afraid of the day when she could lose her trust. Fear lay in her heart and he was not justified in any way, she was afraid of that moment. Michael looked at her, the shadow of fear lurking in her pure gaze.  
— There is nothing to be afraid of — He held her hand in a warm embrace as he stopped at one of the last vacant parking spacer — I promised you something before leaving and I will keep my word — he added gently rubbing her hand, a pleasant shiver spread over her body. She looked up, looking into his dark hypnotizing gaze. She smiled gently, comforted by his words of consolation - Are we going? — he asked, saw more fans coming to the arena to get the best places to be able to admire their idols. He grabbed one of his favorite hats, left the car, grabbed the glasses Julia gave him. They did not have to hurry, which allowed them not to leave the house early in the morning. They mingled with people waiting to enter the meeting with the team. Shinoda, despite the surprise he planned after the concert, went with his friend to a group of people who discussed the impending thick appearances.  
— What will you say if someone recognizes you? — she asked him when they were sitting waiting in the hour of admission to the stadium.  
— I do not intend to be a rock star today — he said quietly, just to Julia would hear him, sitting down on the ground. Feeling the burning rays of the Californian sun.  
— Forgive my question, but it always interested me — she began, watching the young girl who was vividly discussing with her friends. She could have said that she was an age close to her. An energetic brunette laughed at her friend's wit, leaning against the small blond's shoulder.  
— Listen?  
— Is not it tiring when the fan approaches the middle of the street asking for an autograph. Do not get me wrong, but I always thought it was a bit embarrassing — she looked away, feeling his piercing eyes on her.  
— Everything depends on the situation and how the person behaves. If I think it is a bit aggressive, I do not like it a bit, but I can not refuse to take a picture or sign a CD. Despite everything, I like to meet with fans, because it's the best part of this job.  
— And I thought that recording songs — she said in a slightly amused voice.  
— It's also, but it's nice to go on stage and sing new songs and see the reactions of our listeners, it only tells us that we have done a great job, but you also have to be criticized from their side or the opinion of music critics. However, I and the boys like to create completely new unique sounds. They describe us as a rock band, but we do not define it to the end, because as I've seen, we do not play pure rock. Mixing different musical styles interested us from the beginning of our career and even when we started recording our first demos, we knew that we did not want to go in one direction. I can not imagine someone else replacing one of the boys. When I met with Chester for the first time, I knew that we were looking for him. He is a great vocalist and one of my close friends. I do not count how many times, we helped each other. I loved him like a brother — he confessed.  
The honest words that flowed from his heart reached him harder when he saw the smile lurking on the lips of an eighteen-year-old girl. He saw that such a short relationship between her and Bennington had an exceptional bond and come, she did not tell him straightforwardly that he loved him, he knew well that she had deep feelings for the musician. They could argue like all siblings, but if something happened to Julia or Chester, the other would hurry to help and do everything to protect each other. He was happy to watch their reaction, which allowed him to return to happy memories of his youth, to which he returned with reluctance. He removed unwanted thoughts from himself, addressing the girl who was accompanying him.  
She pulled out the phone, which vibrated in a small purse well hidden in the dark t'estert material. She slung her shirts into the dark plaid around her waist, taking her to a cold evening when they were coming back from the concert. Her honest smile widened more, noticing the picture of her brother on the screen of the phone. She pressed the green receiver, putting the phone to her ear.  
— Hi, how are you? Have you arrived? — She heard the sound of conversations in the background. She could not, however, recognize the colors of the men who accompanied her brother, which surprised her slightly, because she thought she would spend the day with Kate, as he told her during yesterday's conversation.  
— Yes, we're at the stadium and we're waiting — she replied, looking at Michael, who hummed the melodies softly.  
— Call us after you meet.  
— What meeting? — Astonished, she looked at the slightly whistling rapper, in his eyes she saw only the same feeling that accompanied him when she asked about his surprise.  
— I thought he told you, okay, you'll find out after the concert — he wanted to quickly get out of the awkward situation he fell in, but his sister realized that Mike had put her brother into his plan and they both hide something from her — I'm sure you will enjoy the little one — he added, wanting to hide his confusion.  
— Chester's better, what Mike did not tell me about!  
— If he did not tell you something, it means he had a reason — he said firmly.  
— You know that I do not like how something is hidden from me!  
— You must get used to it — he laughed and she sensed the malice in his voice.  
— I have to ask him what you want to hide from me.  
— Knowing Shinode, he will not tell you.  
— How can you be sure?  
— I've known him for a few years, I've met him enough to know that if he wants to hide something, he will not tell you if you want to hurt him — The candid voice of the vocalist worried her a bit.  
— I do not know you yet — she sighed softly, feeling the artist's piercing gaze on her.  
— I assure you that there will be time for that — he laughed, heard the sound of drums accompanied by the vocalist in the distance, he had to leave the studio to be able to meet and talk.  
— I understand it well, Chazz, but sometimes it feels strange to me if something is disappearing from me. Do not understand me, everyone else would like surprises in my place, I do not like them — she did not have the courage to tell them what is bothering her heart, why there is such anxiety about unnecessary surprises.  
— You have no reason to explain, and now better finish and go have a good time — he wanted to dissuade her from sadness, he did not want to be worried when she had the opportunity to see her beloved band.  
— See you, Chazz.  
— Hi baby.  
She hid the phone deep inside her pocket, but had the ability to capture it when she wanted to capture a moment.  
They eagerly awaited the opening hours of the gate and let them meet with the team. An hour before the fans were admitted to the stadium, Julia was leaning against Michael's shoulder as he surveyed her drawings, which she sketched the day after his news about tickets for today's performance.  
— Do you like to draw selfportlets? — interested in Tim's paintings, he looked at her from under the lightly closed eyelids.  
— I feel best at them. Pencils or pencils are my favorite painting tools — she muttered, feeling the warmth spreading over her cheeks. The hot sun enveloped the waiting spectators at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater – But he's trying other techniques as you suggested.  
— How I'm leaving you.  
— I do not hide that it's quite interesting, let me go skeptical about it. Now I understand why you encouraged me to do so — he was pleased to hear her words. He always believed that it is worth experimenting independently what was being done, in what field of art, music or literature someone feels best should develop their abilities and stimulate the imagination trying to go because of established norms.  
— I never liked to stick to the established rules — he explained, hiding the drawings in a black portfolio, handing it to the teenager.  
— You can see it not only in your works, but also in music. The record label would have made a mistake if it threw you out of the band — she muttered, referring to one of his songs in which he mentioned the incident.  
— They wanted to do it only because they thought that we would not be able to combine the hip—hpop trend with sharp guitar riffs. Most importantly, the songs that I sang together with Chester are not allowed to exist. They saw a lot of bands who tried to follow this pattern and immediately wrote us off, they wanted to give the boys a chance and only let me play the piano – memories of moments of quarrels with the label's owner made him angry. If not the staunch attitude of the boys and their deep friendship, they put themselves in the hands of the record label which contributed to the release of their debit album which won recognition in a larger group and they could enjoy their first win. One of the best statuettes in the music industry. However, they always put their fans in the first place and their reception interested them the most.  
—Absurd! They wanted to replace you with some other gogus, not Mike, I can not imagine that someone else would appear in your place — she raised up sharply, finding his look full of trust — Not only because I like you very much, but no one can replace you. There are teams where group members leave for some reason and someone else has to replace them. I do not see it in your group. You are not only living with each other as friends, but the musicians, probably everyone will share my opinion that another team is not an option — but she knew well that Michael knows about the suppositions of many of their fans and did not have to mention it, but indignation about the label's behavior appealed to the crowds of frustration.  
— You can be calm, we will not let something blow up our team — he embraced her in the waist, slowly moving away from his body. Julia watched as one of the girls was watching them with a slightly jealous look. It did not escape her attention that Mike approached her very much. She did not feel a reason to move away from him. It may have seemed strange, but in his arms lurked as if the problems were disappearing and she was surrounded by an invisible barrier that protected her. The problems surrounding her simply disappeared.  
— Look at that girl — with a slight nod to the teenager did not notice their interest — She thinks we're together — she laughed softly.  
— He does not even know us! — He replied, helping her up when he saw the bodyguards approaching the gates.  
— It just makes me Lough — she said, adjusting the shoulder of the bag that had fallen from her shoulder while she was sitting on the warm concrete.  
— I know what you mean. My mother paid me respect for the girls when I was young. I am also not a person who could treat women with impunity. Men who consider girls only as a person who should serve them as they call or have some right to raise their hands are not right and should think about their rude behavior. Despite how I treated Taylor, I never dared lift her hands, her treachery was not easy for me — he murmured a bit, reminding himself of the moments of youth and baby with a petite brunette.  
— I asked you not to talk about her — she whispered softly, squeezing his hand.  
— Well — he said, letting one of the men at the gates put on a bracelet then showing him the ticket what Julia had done before. They joined a small group that was waiting for meetings with the band, when the last person was checked, one of the security guards led them to the back of the stage. They arrived at the meeting place. Many people have already been waiting in the room, holding albums or t-shirts in their hands. The rapper smiled seeing this view, returning to the moments when he and his colleagues were giving away autographs, now he could be on the other side. He smiled at the chattering Principe and McIlrath who had entered the room. Greeted with loud applause, they smiled warmly when Brandon appeared at Zach's side. They split up to be able to talk to their fans. He enjoyed the joy of the teenager, because she could get the signatures of her favorite artists. Tim approached her and he sensed her excitement, she tried to control her joy, she could not stop smiling when she showed her vocalist her drawings.  
— This is your first concert? — McIlrath asked her.  
— Yes — she answered, picking up their latest album from him.  
— I hope you will have a great time — he said when the girl handed him his sketches — Hi Mike —he smiled at the musician who accompanied her. She turned to hear the words of satan.  
— Yes. I've known boys for some two years. We met together on one of the routes. They were promoting The Sufferer and The Witness, we played a few shows before the premiere Minutes to Midnight and I also ended touring with Fort Minor. We met at a festival. Mainly, Chester talked to Tim, we arranged the graphics so that we played at the same events, which allowed us to get to know McIlrath's band a little closer. Recently, we also thought about the common route, but it did not work out, because they spend in two months Appeal to Reason and we just entered the studio. So we have to postpone plans for another date — he explained calmly.  
— I understand — she nodded, now understanding Michael's behavior a bit. Did she feel anger? It would not go through her mind. She was happy that he fulfilled one of her dreams, but also let him meet with the members of the band in private.  
Also at the appointed time, the group went on stage, and the band's name scanning by the fans stunned it a bit, but joined in the fun of seeing that even Mike was playing with the people in the arena. She could not hide her joy when she and Tim sang well-known hits, but also those known, but by fans of the band so beloved. When an hour passed from the beginning of the performance, the singer grabbed the acoustic guitar given to him.  
— I want to dedicate this piece to a girl who let her bring back the bright colors of life — she could not help feeling that his eyes were going in the direction of where she stood with Mike.  
The resounding takes notes of the Roadside song, which she had on her incredible undertone and in itself was incredibly emotional. Later – he said quietly, noticing her startled look.  
— I will definitely be — she turned to Tim again.  
— We'll talk after the koncert — he gave her a gentle smile, walking away to the girl standing next to him, she did not have time to ask what he meant, but her eyes went to Shinoda who smiled innocently, gently shrugging his shoulders.  
— Can you explain it to me? — She asked as they went to their seats by the stage, passing between the crowd of people who were eagerly awaiting the concert.  
— Yes. I've known boys for some two years. We met together on one of the routes. They were promoting The Sufferer and The Witness, we played a few shows before the premiere Minutes to Midnight and I also ended touring with Fort Minor. We met at a festival. Mainly, Chester talked to Tim, we arranged the graphics so that we played at the same events, which allowed us to get to know McIlrath's band a little closer. Recently, we also thought about the common route, but it did not work out, because they spend in two months Appeal to Reason and we just entered the studio. So we have to postpone plans for another date — he explained calmly.  
— I understand — she nodded, now understanding Michael's behavior a bit. Did she feel anger? It would not go through her mind. She was happy that he fulfilled one of her dreams, but also let him meet with the members of the band in private.  
Also at the appointed time, the group went on stage, and the band's name scanning by the fans stunned it a bit, but joined in the fun of seeing that even Mike was playing with the people in the arena. She could not hide her joy when she and Tim sang well-known hits, but also those known, but by fans of the band so beloved. When an hour passed from the beginning of the performance, the singer grabbed the acoustic guitar given to him.  
— I want to dedicate this piece to a girl who let her bring back the bright colors of life — she could not help feeling that his eyes were going in the direction of where she stood with Mike.  
The resounding takes notes of the Roadside song, which she had on her incredible undertone and in itself was incredibly emotional.

Tell me what i'm supposed to do  
With all these left over feelings of you  
Cause i don't know  
And tell me how i'm supposed to feel  
When all these nightmares become real  
Cause i don't know

The last notes fell silent and she felt salt drops gathering at the corners of her eyes. She blinked quickly to get rid of them. She did not like to show emotion or weakness. She believed that playing a strong independent girl would allow her to survive more in life, which was not without a doubt. The performance ended with the last notes of Give It All.  
They waited a long time when the fans left the arena after a great concert. She did not think she would have the opportunity to talk to the boys alone. They did not have to wait long for the band to appear. Shinoda allowed her to say hello to the rest of the band. He came to Tim, who stood aside.  
— I'm grateful that you agreed to play this song.  
— Come on we did not plan her in the set, it was nice to play it — he said with a lightness in his voice — You asked me for it, I would not agree if I did not know you but I know how important it was to you.  
— Especially for her — he looked at Julie, who, despite the slight stress, led live discussions with Zach, Brandon and Joe.  
— Forgive me for asking, but I see that it means a lot to you?  
— It's true lately, she helped me many times. She pulled me out of the worst shit I'd fallen in — he explained.  
— I wanted to pay her back — Tim looked at him with unhappy happiness.  
— In part, yes — he replied briefly — Also because I know how he likes your band and wanted to be at your concert and did not have the opportunity — he smiled when he noticed the approaching musicians and teenagers to them.  
— What happened? Mike asked, seeing her look.  
— Something must have happened, you always anticipate the worst — she murmured to him — Nothing, I just suggested a photo — she looked uncertainly at the dark—haired man who was accompanying the rapper.  
— I do not have a problem with that. You seem like a great person – he replied cheerfully.  
— Mike, if you like to play with your phone like that, will you be so nice and take a picture? — she asked him, handing him the cell phone.  
— You have forgotten about me — he said in a somewhat outraged tone.  
—You know that I have a lot of photos with you — she joked, she laughed at seeing his urgent look — I would not dare to forget about my favorite rapper — she added.  
But she both likes to joke and she could feel his amused voice. He took the phone from her, making her request. An hour later they left the stadium, because the team had to move to the next city, and they had to slowly return to Los Angeles. The clocks broke north as they crossed the gates of the arena, heading for the car. Julia unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing at the waist, throwing it over her shoulders. The nights were a bit chilly. Tired and full of joy, she sat in the passenger seat waiting for a musician who had to check something on the car.  
—We can go — he announced getting into the car, then closing the front hatch. He set the way home, firing the engine.  
— How did you like it? — He asked her as they drove through the lit streets of the city.  
— It was great — she said full of enthusiasm and sincere joy — How do I repay you?  
— Is it enough if you honestly answer how you liked Roadside? — She wiped her slightly tired eyelids, raised her head sharply as the meaning of his question reached her.  
— Dedication was for me? — she looked at him with wide open eyes and she felt a strange stab of euphoria in her heart and something that she could not determine. When she looked at a slightly smiling musician she could not get over the admiration that he had done so much for her.  
— But why? — she asked suddenly, wanting to understand his goodness, she had no idea what she deserved for his generosity.  
— Do you want to know why? — he stopped the vehicle on the side of the road so he could talk to her calmly. He turned to look at her deep into her bright eyes. You appeared unexpectedly in my life when all the walls I had been building for many years were breaking. Life spilled under my feet and I could not find a place for myself. I did not want to listen to the advice of my friends. I threw away their helping hand, because I thought I would do my best myself, but the truth was worse, they had to watch me fall. I did not want to listen to anyone, not even your brother. I do not know why I did that, I know I will be sorry for how I treated them. I can not explain to you, but when you appeared in our small group. When you let me get closer thanks to you, I could tear myself away from the bottom I got into. You restored my lost hopes that I could be happy. Thanks to you, I know what is right and how to behave in the face of recurring mention – words that echoed through the car, had a huge impact on the teenager, opened her mouth ready to say something but she could not put her thoughts into a sensible sentence to tell him . She spoke for a longer minute, feeling his hopeful gaze.  
— I know they do not feel any grudges against you, they are your friends, they understand you well and they were with you when you parted with her. I saw how much they are worried about you and I do not think they would feel sorry for you about the situation — she dared to confess to him the words she had touched during one of the conversations with the boys, she wanted to know more about his well-being, uncertain question, which then she asked surprised musicians, but they answered her in the same words that she gave to Michael – I do not want to thank you for that because people are more important to me. What about our rewards or victories, if we do not have people who love us — she admitted sincerely, looking into his mesmerizing eyes.  
— Can I...?  
— You do not have to ask me about such things — she said with a small laugh, seeing his intentions. She did not have to wait long to be in his embrace. She buried her face in his collarbone. She would have wanted this moment to last forever. That time would stop, he would not go on a further journey. She closed her eyes feeling his warm hands on her waist. However, he could not move closer to her, he needed it so badly. With great reluctance, he pushed her away from her, saw her eyes that she did not want to. Stay in this loving feeling of embrace. The bright eyes of the girl expressed their plea that he would not interrupt, but she dared not say it.  
— Time to come back — he said quietly, interrupting this emotional moment.  
Crossing the boundaries of Los Angeles, the clocks beat three o'clock. The man got a bit lost on the road while driving under the cover of the night. He found the way, however, they lost an hour of travel. Julia, who was sitting next to him, despite the fatigue that seized her, did not fall asleep throughout the journey, keeping him company, but also watching him not to cause any accident when he also felt the effects of an overnight journey.  
— Thank you for this day — he said as they sat in a quiet car beneath Bennington's apartment. The lights in the house dimmed, it was not surprising that the vocalist had slept well for a long time.  
— I asked you not to thank me — he replied a bit impatient — Now move on, because I see that you will fall asleep in this chair.  
— I'd rather warn you because it's you who drive the vehicle.  
— I'll get home quietly, it's only two blocks awal — he was pleased that he had decided to live so close to his best friend. Julia looked at him unconvinced by his words — I'll write to you when I'm Home — he assured her.  
— I will wait for this message. One more thing —she added pulling out of her purse the dark visor she was wearing today — I think it's yours. A creator invented me a bit — she laughed softly, looking at the Rise Against logo in the middle of the hat.  
— If you want you can keep it, I have a lot of it so the loss of one does not make a difference.  
The eighteen–year–old laughed, reminding herself of the young man during his side hip-hop project.  
— What's so funny?  
— Nothing like that reminded me of the times of Fort Minor — she replied only, not to offend him with other words.  
— I know what you mean. It was three years ago. Time for some change. I will not walk around like a crazy rapper and kid in the days of Hybrid Theory — he also responded happily.  
— Everyone will associate you with it now, they will associate you with continuous walking in shirts — she added jokingly forgetting about fatigue and later hour on the car clock.  
— Very funny young — he murmured with sarcasm but he could not hide the joy in his voice — Go now! I wish you a good night — he said, kissing her on the cheek to say good–bye.  
— See you tomorrow — she opened the door, put a dark cap on her temples, moving slowly to the entrance. She turned around, noticing the receding car. She pulled the key from the bottom of her purse, quietly opening the door. She whispered over the threshold, turning the key in the lock. She hung up the key on the hanger and rushed to her room, trying not to wake Chester and Anica. The dog was extremely sensitive to her presence, she did not want the bitch to wake her brother.  
She went into the room, grabbed her shirt at night with reluctance going to the bathroom. A quick shower slightly refreshed her, but she still felt terrible fatigue. When she returned to her slept she looked at the phone to make sure his friend safely got to the house, seeing his message, he took a deep breath and was immensely eager to plunge into the pile of pillows with the day's experience before her eyes. Morpheus quickly admonished her, because after a while she drifted in the land of dreams.

~*~~*~~*~

It was awakened by the sound of growing music signaling a new connection. She moaned in frustration that anyone who dared to wake her from such a beautiful dream. She pulled the phone out from under the pillows, noting Rob's name on the display.  
— Hi young — she heard the first words after putting the earphone to her ear.  
— Hey Rob — she tried to hide the yawn, but she could not mask it, which caused a smile on the drummer's face.  
— You just got up?  
— You could say that — she said, brushing the unruly strands of hair from her face — You know it's coming first this afternoon?  
— I am justified, yesterday I came back at three in the morning with Mike from the koncert — she took on a slightly serious tone, but the joy of the music was also shared by her.  
— Actually. However, I am calling you in another matter.  
— Speak!  
— Do you have time to meet somewhere in an hour? — he asked.  
He had been with this intention for several days, but he always had something to stop him from meeting the teenager.  
— I'll probably just get dressed and come. Just send me the address — she said, going into the wardrobe, choosing which bright almost white dress fitted the top, grabbing a denim jacket on the way.  
— Well. See you later.  
— Hi — put down the phone, going to the bathroom. She yawned long, suddenly bumping into Chester.  
— Hey Chazz — she smiled at her brother, who looked at her from under the eyelids.  
— I see that the concert has been successful — he said, noticing the late hour and his sister in a nightgown and undone hair.  
— Yes of course. I'd talk more, but I made an appointment with Rob in an hour.  
— She got up and already meet someone and she will not talk to her brother — she heard his words that were supposed to sound dangerous — I feel jealous! He added grimly.  
— You do not have what — she shouted back from the bathroom — Rob has a case so I could not refuse him.  
— Why, I got to know you with them, first of all Mike is not all day and half a night, and then he is dating some date with Robert, he will not find time for his brother — he heard her joyful laugh, he could not stop a smile. He had no pretense to meet her.  
She sat in the corner of a cozy cafe. Looking at the rose arranged in small bouquets on the tables. She took a sip of coffee, which stirred her slightly. She did not feel well after the broken nights and sleeping for a few hours. She looked up at Bourdon entering the cafe. He found her at the table, sat down.  
—Forgive me for being late, I'm stuck in traffic — he said with a dose of kindness.  
— It does not matter, I did not wait long — she said, grabbing a cup of coffee.  
— How was on concert? — he was interested in her experiences from the previous night, he saw the honest smile on her lips he could dare say that he is happy that his friend made her fulfill one of her dreams.  
— I had a great time. Tim, Brandon, Zach and Joe are really nice people.  
— You liked them — he said, drinking his drink.  
— It shows?  
— Yes.  
— I still can not get over the admiration that you know them. And especially what Mike did — she said, still impressed by Shinoda's deed.  
— Mike is very honorable, if he feels he has a need to fulfill his long doing it and even some objection will not scare him away. He felt the need to thank you for your presence in the last weeks...  
— He did not have to do it at all! All I wanted was to make him smile again — she said boldly, interrupting his stream of words.  
— I understand you well. You do not want to give alms for your deeds.  
— I would not call it that. I only want my loved ones to be happy. All I need is luck — she said quickly.  
— I understand — he nodded in agreement.  
— Why did you want to meet? — she started remembering that the drummer was expecting what he expected of her.  
— Right — he reminded himself — Do you remember our conversation from three weeks ago? I was telling you about a friend who's getting married — He looked at her, noticing that he remembered the conversation he had mentioned.  
— Yes, I remember.  
— I would like to ask you, would you like to accompany me? – I watched with anxiety as he looks in his eyes, surprised by his question.  
— You surprised me a bit — she said after a moment of silence.  
– Can I count on your presence? — he asked, come along with her refusal, he wanted to ask her, he waited patiently until the girls would think his words before she said.  
— I have nothing to lose. Of course, I can go with you — She nodded, a slight smile on her lips.  
— I'm glad you agreed. He sighed with relief, pushing his doubts aside.  
They talked for a long time about the wedding and yesterday's concert. Rob told her that the wedding would take place on the last Saturday of September and it was to be a modest ceremony in the presence of family and close friends. Come on, she never met a friend of Bourdon, she poi;l/was glad that she could accompany him. He gladly swims on the dance floor looking at the joy of future paintings.


	15. TOM 1— REBEL : 14 — LET ME GO FOR A MOMENT TO FORGET ABOUT FAME

She rolled with reluctance aside, suppressing a growing groan in the down of the maroon pillow. The sound of footsteps and the soft squeak of the door awakened her from a deep sleep. She stopped the cry of frustration that flung across her lips as she felt her brother's cool hand on her shoulder and his urgent call to wake her up.  
— Chester, have mercy and let me sleep! — She whimpered, not wanting to look at his dark irises.  
— Forgive me for waking you, but I have a case.  
— Say better what time it is for me to piss at you — she said reluctantly, falling back on her back, meeting his sleepy gaze. A dark night spotted over his shoulder, millions of constellations brightening the dark glow of the heavens. The silvery luminous moon burst through the open window, a breeze of cool wind let him feel a bit cold because of the hot day in the city of angels. Heat waves hit the metropolis, giving no respite to the inhabitants. The cool wind wrapped her naked arms around her. A flesh—colored nightdress kept on delicate straps enveloped her body. She felt the pleasant chill of August night, let her sleep in the embrace of the king of dreams. She noticed that he was holding on his shoulders his favorite, dusty jacket, dark glasses that he often carried with him on a white T—shirt.  
— It's two o'clock in the Morcing — he said with a faint concern, seeing her widening eyelids.  
— Have you stupid — he covered her mouth with his hand, not allowing her to continue speaking, holding back the stream of bitter words pushing her lips.  
— I'll let you go to sleep, but I just want to tell you that I will not be here for two days — he explained, seeing her curious look.  
— Why? — she asked, a bit worried about his words, and at the same time the curiosity that was in her. He did not tell her when they talked yesterday that he was going to leave.  
— Adam arranged for us a concert in Washington along with the interview of one on local television. We have to go to the capital, because we will lose this performance — he replied sitting down on the edge of the mattress.  
— I know your job —she explained, guessing what's bothering him — I can handle it. Go, I know you love to sing. Give it your all — she added hastily, seeing the lurking smile on his lips.  
— You will be able to see us.  
—What do you mean?  
— The MTV station is to broadcast the festival on which we play. I hope you'll be watching — He looked at her from under the lightly closed eyelids.  
— Of course I will be. I would kick you luckily, but why, if you've had so many concerts behind you? — She heard his happy smile.  
— Do not bend the young! — took on a slightly more dangerous tone, but the happiness that lurked in his eyes slightly spoiled the serious atmosphere that they want to maintain.  
— I'm not afraid. Get out! He wants to sleep — he shook his head amused, wishing his sister good night. Before he left her room, he glanced at her. She sank into the pile of pillows and covered herself with a bright blanket led by the king of dreams to his land. He left the flat quickly, grabbing the bag of personal belongings between time. He buckled the door, heading for the bus in the driveway. He greeted Ryan, who gave him a warm smile, starting the engine of the vehicle. He suppressed a yawn, dropping the black bag into the corner of the bus. His attention was caught by Mike sitting on a nearby couch with his legs resting on a low table. He saw deep shadows under his eyes. He slumped down on the couch, throwing the phone on the dark sofa.  
— Hi — Shinoda greeted him, suppressing the growing yawn.  
— Hey. Where are the boys? — he asked, interested in the lack of the rest of the group — They sleep — he murmured, pointing to the bedroom part.  
— Why do not you sleep in those few hours?  
— You know, it's hard for me to fall asleep when someone takes me out of my sleep — he explained grimly, crossing his hands on his chest.  
— You should have a rest in the evening and we want you to be rested — he was worried about his friend's condition. Come on in him a huge change in which he tried to forget about an unsuccessful relationship with Taylor, he had moments of doubt, however, restored hope, she sued him not to think about it. He rightly noticed that a great progress had been made since he met Julia, who unwittingly allowed her to return to former Michael.  
— I understand your concern Chester, but I do not want to —he said involuntarily — I prefer that you slept these half-night — he added, looking at the closest friend.  
— I will not leave you alone, if you do not want to sleep, what do you say that we would play something? — he got up from the comfortable piece of furniture, going to the television set and the console hidden on one of the shelves. He found in the back of the drawer the disc he was looking for. He looked at the transparent cover, reading the inscription Medal of Honor. He waved the box in which the CD was.  
— What would you say for that? — he asked, saw his expanding eyelids when he saw the cover of the game.  
— I was to contribute to your defeat — he added with a laugh, painted on his pale skin.  
— Shinoda? I think that I have to play on you — he added, throwing him one of the black joysticks that he caught with his hand. Without worrying about the darkness outside the window, they looked at the television screen in the corner of the room, controlling their characters. The vocalist, seeing the movement that enabled him to win the game, came in the form which Michael controlled and with a few skillful moves, the man lay at his feet contributing to his victory.  
— Did you say something about winning? —He gave his friend a joyful smile when he looked with disgust at the blinking red lettering.  
— You took advantage of my inattention! — he remarked rightly, looking at his dark irises.  
— Of course, a reliable tactic — he replied amused, the defeat of a younger man.  
— What do you say to the rematch?  
— I'm glad to destroy you again — he laughed with satisfaction, letting Mike choose the board they were supposed to face. He muttered, pleased to see how the rapper chooses one of his favorite missions.  
— Hi guys — Louis looked away, glancing at Rob, who sat down in his spare chair.  
—Woke you up? — He asked, focusing again on the game.  
— No — he explained, putting on his glasses on his nose — I did not sleep — she added hastily, watching the struggles of the singers who were in the war game.  
— Align the bills from the previous route? — asked interested in food, reminding himself of the ore in which the fountains and the leader were in the game, but the last day of the tour did not let them settle disputes in the electronic game.  
— Spike suffered a defeat at the very beginning — Chester said, noticing one of the enemy's soldiers at the last moment.  
— I asked you to stop talking to me like that — he got angry, killing a soldier lurking in the corner of a ruined room – I'm not sixteen years old to call me like that — he muttered in a slightly annoyed voice. He did not like how his friends used his old pseudonyms which were invented during high school. They were already adult men and it would not be out of the question to say to him Spike or The Glue which at the end of high school became tiring for him — I won! — he added, pleased, putting the control back into place — We are a chita — he added to his friend, rising from the comfortable couch, approaching the tiny kitchen.  
— Rob will you play? — he heard the question from his lips.  
He took a box from the cabinet, opening the lid under which he had hidden some sweets. He returned to his friends sitting down on an armchair, arranging the cereal cookies brought on the table. Bennington, led by a sweet aroma of cookies, looked at his friend. He could see on the table often seen at home cookies that his sister liked to make, he looked at Michael. Seeing his questioning look, he said:  
— Are not these cookies that Julia gave you a recipe for?  
— Exactly these — he replied tasting another rage — I will not say, but tasted to me when I was with you last time — he replied.  
— Young often does — he said, stealing one of the round biscuits from a light saucer. — She mentioned that she had once mixed up some random ingredients for the dough on the kitchen. The cooks got mad at her, they wanted to throw her out of the change, but let her finish this cake when she knew she knew what she was doing. Apparently they liked them so she left the recipe and occasionally made them for dessert.  
— Julia is cooking? — astonished by his words, he looked up, intrigued by Bennington's words.  
— If he wants to do something, usually do something from Spanish cuisine because he is a great fan of these flavors — he explained calmly, pouring a freshly brewed coffee into a clear cup — I can say, however, that he tries to avoid the kitchen as he can — he added with a slight amusement, recalling in the memories of attempts to induce an eighteen—year—old to cook together.  
— Why do you say that?  
— Let's be honest. Julia and the cook are two different words in no way matching each other — he replied, feeling the eyes of his colleagues — There were situations when she was forced to do something, but mainly her good will if she decides to make dinner.  
— So I took over the chef's duties — Mike grew quiet, settling himself comfortably on the soft sofa.  
— In total, it does not make a difference to me. You know well that you can not function long on junk food — he saw how gently he nodded at the sign of understanding — So you have to be able to cook something — he replied almost indifferently, viewing the latest news from the corner of his eye.  
— I have to agree with you — Robert supported his friend.  
— I do not want Julia to spend time on household chores, she is young, she still has to work in life. Come on, I do not hide that sometimes she likes to help herself — he added, shrugging.  
— I thought he liked to laze around and paint pictures — Michael quipped, looking at his friend.  
— Yes, here he agrees with you, but despite the fact that he likes to sleep longer. He prefers to do something creative or go to language school — he hastened with explanations.  
— I've been wondering since I met Julia — With Delson's voice he looked up, meeting his dark irises, wiping tired eyelids as the sound of conversations woke him from his nap. However, he had no reason to be bad, there were a lot of such nights when one of them was accompanied by colleagues when he could not narrow his eyes to be able to go to the land of eternal dreams. He took Robert's mug of steaming coffee and the aroma of a fresh drink enveloped his senses. He took a sip of the drink, giving the vocalist a warm look — How long did she learn Spanish before she met you?  
— She mentioned to me during one of the conversations that when she started attending junior high school, in the core curriculum it was a compulsory language which had to be mastered. After graduating from school, she found a free course which allowed her to continue her education in this direction — he felt like a brunet leaning against the chair on which he sat, saying further — In high school, however, they exerted more pressure on Japanese. She said that she could give up this class for her favorite language, but she gave herself a chance, after a few months she left the class without seeing the effects of her learning.  
— She mentioned that she was lost in the basic signs of Kenji — Michael said quizzically, smiled slightly when he saw that his friend confirmed his suggestion.  
— Yes, she asked the teacher to transfer her to Spanish. He agreed at least reluctantly because he saw potential in it — he replied, however, his dissatisfied face showed that the words raising teenagers were not accurate in any way and supported the teenager. He did not think so if his sister did not show him how he really used that language. He had to admit her right about her resignation — I will not say whether he rightly saw it, because Julia really does not offend this language — he explained.  
— Yes, she asked the teacher to transfer her to Spanish. He agreed, though reluctantly, because he saw potential in it — he replied, however, his dissatisfied testimony indicated that the words of the teenagers' educator were not accurate and supported the eighteen—year—old. He did not think that if his sister did not show him how he really used the language. He had to admit her right about her resignation — I will not say, however, if he was right to see it, because Julia really can not handle this language — he explained when he saw Rob, Mike and Brad asking questions.  
— He copes well with Spanish — the guitarist remarked, remembering one of his conversations with a high school student. The long years of learning have in no way gone to waste, the girl's proficiency in the possession of one of her favorite languages meant that she could communicate well with the indigenous people of Spain, and the form in which she spoke made her difficult — the accent is still weak — he added.  
— He's still working on it — Chester explained — She wrote mainly to classes to master the timbre, but also to slightly improve the proficiency of using extended times. Sometimes he skilfully uses this language.  
— It means?  
—There are moments during our scuffles, she often uses Spanish when she gets angry.  
— Do you understand what he's saying?  
— Not necessarily. I must tell her to speak English, otherwise we will not understand it — he replied calmly, taking a final gulp of some cool brown drink.  
— Surprising you are arguing — Rob laughed, not remembering the time that their friend had said. He thought that Julia and Chester understood each other well, and they almost reached the awatur between them, but Brad's and Mike's expressions told him that he did not know much about it.  
— He and the young will be tearing at each other, you can hear them in the neighborhood — Shinoda muttered grimly.  
— Really? — the singer only nodded affirmatively — I thought you were getting along.  
— I will not deny it, but like all siblings we like to argue about trivialities. Julia is a patient person, but it is better not to upset her – he hastened to see Bourdon's puzzled look.  
— I prefer not to get into talking again in her when she gets so pissed off! — Mike said, approaching the kitchenette.  
— Forgive the old man — he said in a somewhat contrite voice.  
— He has a character like you — he leaned against the counter, eyeing the faces of the musicians.  
— Returning to our previous conversation — brunet took the place of a longtime friend and stuck with a look at Bennington — She did not think about getting a certificate for an interpreter when she turned eighteen?  
— Honestly?  
— Yes.  
— I did not talk to her about it, so I am not able to tell you if she will actually go in that direction. If she wants to do it, she will probably sign up for tests, but for now I do not see any desire to go to any courses. Yes, she went to the driving license course, because she always wanted to drive, but to pass the exams it is better not to force her — said Brown, earlier he would be surprised how much he knows about her sister and how well he knew her behavior, now it seemed natural. The long hours spent with young Bennington allowed him to get to know her and somehow understand her behavior. Yes, he did not know about her the truth from previous years, which seemed tiring to her. She did not want to talk about it, but after several attempts to persuade her to talk and confess, he understood that he must leave it in the way it is and only time will show how their fate will unfold, whether he decides to tell him about his past. He had to be patient and not put pressure on her.  
— Does not like to learn?  
— I would not say it that way. Yes, she does not like to sit long on books, but she does not like to write tests. Primy is not really, but she is trying to have good grades — getting information about her sister and potential adoption had to learn about her results in science. Although her results were not the highest and fluctuated between good and average grades, teachers did not complain about her in any way, the only remarks they wrote were about fights and, in the worst case, fights with another student, so they had to call her guardians when she was caught on a brawl. He also noticed complaints about her inattentiveness during lessons when she started to draw something and did not pay attention to the classes she attended. Nobody would suspect that despite her self-control, Julia can be pugnacious and bet on her and try to come up with a biting remark to tell the person who insults her. The common features that linked them were evident during their arguments or quarrels. He broke free from the memories of his memories by joining colleagues.

~*~~*~~*~

She sat on the edge of a small pond, a cool breeze of the water plane wrapping her face, bathed in sunlight. Sheaves of bright light reflected on the rough surface of the lake. She grabbed her favorite glasses, lying close to her on the nose.  
The duck sat on the water, stirring her swells as she began to swim her favorite route. Anika lying next to her barked, seeing the floating animal, happy that the pond had settled another bipedal animal, she wanted to run to rush the animals, but the grip on the collar kept her from pursuing her further race. Julia knew very well that the dog was not doing well in the water, she wanted to avoid her temper to breathe in the cool waters of the lake. She did not want her to be hurt.  
— Anika is not allowed! — she scolded the dog who tucked his tail — You can not swim, do not want you to drown — she added hastily, stroking her ears, which was enough to comfort her. The bitch rushed at her, licking her face — I love you too — she laughed when she put her head on her knees, looking at the pond and a flock of ducks swimming on the water.  
She used the absence of her brother, taking his companion for a long walk around her favorite park, she reluctantly wanted to spend the next day at home. Taking advantage of the day she did not take part in a language course, she decided to laze in the bosom of nature. She laid herself down comfortably on the soft blanket she took with her, looking at people walking around. Her attention was drawn to the girl in blond braids tangled in two braids, who sat on one of the swings, talking to a high-school girl. An energetic five-year-old was saying something to her mother, looking towards her. She smiled at the sight. She reminded her of her childhood dreams of having a family, a warm and safe home, which is always a mainstay in hard days. She imagined having fun in the yard with her brother or sister, whom she could get along with despite the quarrels. However, she understood that our dreams sometimes fail, and she painfully came across the truth less than a few years later when she realized that she had been abandoned and no one really loved her. She suppressed growing crying. She did not like to come back to those memories, caused her sadness, which she did not want to feel. Life in bidulu has never been easy and come, her life has changed, images of those days will remain in her mind, leaving havoc. However, moments of doubt like this happened rarely, and she allowed herself to live with happy days, to ward off nightmares that destroyed her.  
— I can stroke her — She raised her head to hear the question. She met the little girl's gaze, warm green eyes looking at the bitch, which lay on her thighs, letting the teenager unknowingly stroked her with a soft coat. Her shy smile was somewhat pale, but her eyes were full of joy, they looked at the animal. She was not sure how to act, but she did not want to take away the joy of the child.  
— Of course — she replied with a cheerful smile, taking her hand, to the dissatisfaction of the bitch, who clearly liked the situation.  
The six-year-old sat on the edge of a soft blanket, gently stroking the golden retriever's fur. Seeing her joy, she could not help smiling. A small gesture and made great pleasure for the child. Anika also did not seem unhappy about it, it was impossible to hide that she liked to be pampered, she loved when she was affectionate. She could repay herself with her selfless love. The bitch was extremely emotional at her point, she could sense when, under the cover of the night, she was afraid to fall asleep, when once again uncomfortable memories haunted her mind, she came to her, hugging her. She read many opinions that dogs sense the well-being of their owners, but also their developed senses can discover the early stages of serious diseases, she was skeptical when Anika appeared in her life and understood that the opinions of the owners of four-legged friends are right, she had to admit them right.  
—What is his name? — She looked at the girl, who was looking at her with curiosity painted on her face.  
— Anika lures — seeing how the dog closes her eyes, she understood that it was the time of her southern nap and she had to go back to her apartment.  
— Is that your dog?  
— Anika belongs to my brother, but I also look after her — she explained, putting a bottle of water into a dark bag.  
— She is beautiful — she was delighted.  
— Thank you  
— Lucy, here you are — in a woman's voice, she looked at the dark–haired girl who stood behind her daughter. The nervousness gave way to the relief that was reflected in her bright gaze — I've been looking for you everywhere — she added, raising her daughter from the juicy green grass — I have asked you so many times that you would not go away without my knowledge — she scolded her and the girl only cuddled up in her arms, whispering quiet words of apology — I'm sorry for my daughter — she turned to a high school girl who folded the blanket into an even ankle — She is very energetic and she is interested in everything.  
— Like every child, he wants to know the world.  
— I'm really sorry. Lucy loves dogs, she really wants us and her husband to buy her, but we can not afford it — she explained.  
— I can understand you. Anika is very friendly to children, so she did not do any harm.  
— I believe, but Anthony's allergy does not allow us to have a dog.  
— I understand you well, my friend is also an allergy and I can understand your object — she said in a calm voice, hiding the blanket inside the bag.  
— I'm sorry for Lucy again — she said in a slightly cheerful voice.  
— Will you still be here with Anika? — a girl, seeing her mother want to move away, she asked an eighteen-year-old girl.  
— Honey can not bother anyone.  
— Mommy, but he's a lovely dog.  
— I know, but you can not impose yourself — she reminded her mother.  
— But ... — she did not hear a stream of more words when the woman left with her daughter, holding her in her arms. She dropped the bag on her shoulders, grabbing the leash, slowly striding toward one of the busier streets.  
She sighed quietly, feeling the flow of individual drops of water. She blinked quickly, driving away her dark memories. Sometimes a lot of questions came to her mind. If John showed a paternal heart, letting the newborn daughter stay with his wife? The children's dream of having a family was distant, they became only what was not attainable, when she understood that she was really unwanted, it hurt because she was abandoned only because her father turned out to be cold. What was he thinking about when he told her to quit? The question, which still bothered her, did not dare to talk to anyone about it and reveal the doubts that still bother her. She was upset by the fact that she was brought up with strangers without a sense of security and care. At the moment John was looking after a new daughter, he fell in love with her when he started a family with a new ground floor. What did she blame for rejecting her? He accepted each of his children, he played her family love. What did she do to deserve such a fate? Torn from the depths of her mind, she reached for the vibrating phone in her pocket. She did not look at the caller's ID, put the receiver in her ear, trying to put on a mask of an impassive high school student who forgot about the wrongs she had done:  
— Hi Julia — Delson's exultant voice echoed on the other side.  
She swallowed hard, trying to speak in a controlled voice.  
— Hey Brad — her sore tone made her feel a bit sad, she knew that a friend would understand that something was not right at the beginning. She was not mistaken when she heard the question from his mouth:  
— Is everything ok?  
— Yes — she answered quickly, looking cheerful.  
— I'm not convinced — he said grimly — Even on the phone, you hear that you are hiding something.  
— I do not want to grieve you with your problems. You play concert in two hours, I do not want you to think about me.  
— Little you try to lie to me and deceive, persuading you to be right. The longer you deny the more you will feel bad about it, and I'm not going to hide that I'm worried about you.  
— I'm sorry, Brad, but I do not want to talk about it!  
— You do not trust me? — stopped when the meaning of his words hurt her heart.  
— I did not mean it — she sighed quietly, going to the other end of the street — It seems easy in your opinion, but believe me it's difficult.  
—Julia, I can guess what is tormenting you so much but understand, I do not care so much about you that you feel comfortable in our company — the sound of the door closed on the other side — You became a close person to me, I loved you like a little sister which I missed. When I grew up with three brothers, sometimes I missed girls' friendship. It may seem strange, but even the boys have enough of themselves and wanted to talk to whom the opposite sex and it is not always about courting or romances — she laughed softly at his words — I loved you like a sister whom I did not have. I care about you as much as Chester or the rest of the boys. You think that now we would let you go. We have become attached to you, despite the fact that we know each other relatively long.  
— I appreciate your efforts and gassing. You let me discover what peace and security means. You know well that I knew you much earlier, but from the moment I could talk to you, I felt that I had support. To some extent, I know that I'm not alone — she has never confessed such sincere words to anyone. The presence of the team and their attitudes and relations, which they combined, gave her the chance to meet these six men who many people in the world say.  
— Can you tell what happened? — he urged his question when she entered the door of the cool apartment, freeing the bitch from the leash. Anika fled toward the living room, leaving her alone in the shadow of the corridor.  
— It's not a phone call — she explained in a controlled voice, taking off her favorite conversions, throwing them aside, slowly entering the versatile kitchen, falling into the bar stool. Heat suffered residents of Los Angeles for many days without giving a moment's respite. The nights with the windows open became everyday life and the chill that mastered the apartment let them hide in their interiors from the treacherous sun.  
— I do not want to press, but will you talk to me when we come back? — the persistence of these musicians surprised her once. She had to admit that not only the vocalist could bet on his own, but later discovered that the members of the group as well as he strives to set goals, stubbornly stick to his resolutions.  
— Of course — she agreed, knowing that Delson would not let him forget about this discussion.  
Was it strange that the band was slowly breaking down the walls that it separated and allowed itself to help? Previously, it would seem incorrect to her, but her life has changed. The old nature of secretiveness, mistrust and aggression that lurked in it disappeared, she began to feel that she was herself, not an imitation of a lost teenager from an orphanage, but a cheerful eighteen-year-old girl with ambitions and dreams of art studies. She was afraid of rejecting the application and let her go to the last year of high school, in her heart she was afraid that she would not be admitted to her dream studies. She was worried about the third grade of high school, because the final grades for admission to a good university have a big impact. The willingness to study the drawing could have been more, because Michael's honest opinion, she knew that he could not rely on only one person, but his words of appreciation meant a lot to her. She appreciated his advice and the time he devoted to her so that she could train and develop her skills. She put down the phone after looting with Bradford grabbing a glass of cold lemonade. However, she had to admit that the time in the company of the band did not run her unexpectedly quickly, it seemed as if they were long but she did not feel tired of them, quite the contrary. In the depths of her heart, she did not want holidays to end, but they lasted longer. She did not want these two weeks to go away and she had to go back to school desks and early morning mornings. The musicians knew well what a nightmare it was for her early insertion, and in particular the effects of such mornings had not experienced Chester once, but he could find a way to calm her down.  
She murmured softly as she looked at her watch. The directions were midday and she did not want to do anything. The desire to prepare a Mexican dish had been for her for several days. She grabbed the tablet lying on the counter, reviewing recipes for an interesting dish. She found the recipe she was curious about by looking at the ingredients she needed. She was happy, however, that yesterday she went to bigger shopping with Chester, so she could calmly prepare a slightly sharper meal.  
She sat in the darkened living room in the evening, the dim light of the lamp enveloping the darkness, letting her calm down. The sound of the city was interrupted only by the harmonious calm in which she was stuck. She found the program she was interested in, amplifying the television set. The start of the band's concert flowed inexorably and she was waiting impatiently for the television to start touring friends. When the nine o'clock arrived, the well-known notes that began the One Step Closer sounded in the stadium. The eye of the camera looked at the well-playing audience and she watched the group of young people chanting the band's name with envy. She wanted to be in their place, enter the crowd of teenagers and adults who loved the bands of Linkin Park and have fun with them to the song they wore in their hearts. Sing along with the brother of the ballad she loved, but she knew she could not have everything. She was happy that they were enjoying music and communicating it to their fans. Boring words of the song No More Sorrow, she grabbed a bowl of crisps which she brought with her. Come like healthy food and good food, sometimes she liked to take unhealthy food. She did not do it rarely, but only when she had the will to do it. An hour later the concert ended and she let the program with her favorite songs fly in the background this month. She grabbed the phone by dialing Dave's number when Chester did not answer her messages. A slightly disappointed failure to contact the team did not count on Pheonix picking up the phone, but she was pleasantly surprised when she heard his tired but slightly amused voice on the other side.  
— I thought I was not calling you — she said, hearing his amused voice.  
— If you mean your brother, he can not take it away — he answered cheerfully.  
— Why?  
— how to say — he stopped to choose the words that he wanted to convey to her at the same time looking at the vocalist who lay motionless on the dark carpet without wanting to get up — He is finished and he has no strength to get up from the floor.  
— What was he doing? — she asked a bit worried about his condition.  
— Today's concert has finished him off. He and Mike did not sleep that night. We had an intense day in the city. After such a long break from the last tour, they fell slightly out of the form — he explained looking at the vocalists — They do not seldom stick to each other now — he added when he felt Bennington's look on himself.  
— Tell the bride that I will call her back later — he muttered grimly, falling back on his back. He nodded slightly, studying Michael, who was sitting with his eyes closed, leaning against Delson's shoulder.  
— Did you hear? — he asked her.  
— Yes, give him rest. I just wanted to make sure everything was fine.  
— I understand Julio — he answered quietly — How did you like the concert? I hope you watched.  
— Yes, I watched the broadcast. I must admit that I would rather be there with you than here in Los Angeles.  
— We'll take you next time and play with you during our performance.  
— How do you know I was not looking at you anymore? — She raised her eyebrow questioningly  
— A good fairy told me that you would like to participate — he replied, winking at the singer.  
— Fairy Godmother? — she said — I think this good wizard is a guy older than me by ten years and wears the same surname as me — he laughed at her words.  
— I must admit you are right.  
They talked for a while before Jim appeared, asking them to come back to the bus because they had a few hours to travel to get home.


	16. TOM 1— REBEL : 15 — LET ME REMAN MYSELF

She looked closely at the outline of a figure tied with iron ties. Hands and feet were braided with heavy brass, the lack of background slightly spoiled the effect of the man trapped in the bonds. She could not say why the painting she decided to draw, took on some darker climates, could interpret her paintings, but this time there was something completely different, the desire to draw in black allowed her to calm down and calm her thoughts.  
At the instigation of Michael, she tried to play with different styles, but today she did not want to experiment in art and choose the tools in which she felt best. A pad of a dozen or so colored pencils rested in a box adorned with it. The choice of colors, however, chose in cool and dark shades, hides plaques with warm colors, leaving only the flesh colors. The sound of the song Thank You For Loving Me fat Bon Jovi resounded in the living room, allowing her attention to be absorbed by the small work. Many people thought that when drawing or writing artists or writers need peace and quiet, in her case it did not always work. She hated the silence that surrounded her. One of the many lists of songs had to go in the background, giving the climate.  
Absorbed in the work, she did not notice the six men at the threshold of the living room. They looked at each other, giving each other light smiles that they could meet her. Chester was convinced that, like every Thursday, his sister would be in a language school. He was surprised by her view in the apartment, because she did not miss any classes from the first meeting with her class. Michael silently approached her, covering his eyes with his hand. She moved uneasily, under his touch, leaning forward, whispering quietly in her ear:  
— What my favorite artist is working on — she released a colored pencil from her hand. He exposed her bright irises as she looked over her shoulder, meeting his amused look.  
— Mike, do not do it the second time! — she warned in a cool voice, but let herself be hugged.  
She looked up from his shoulder, watching the music in the passage. The corner of her mouth rose up as she saw her tired but happy brother. She got out of the rapper's embrace, would drive him to greet him.  
— I did not think I would miss you so much — she said, hugging his arms.  
— Me too — he answered quietly, pushing her away slightly, staring intently at him — Why are not you in class?  
— The instructor got sick and canceled our activities at the last minute — she explained, feeling Brad's shoulders.  
She greeted a group of men, sat on soft leather sofas. She hid all the utensils and blocks she used, putting her down on one of the chests of drawers, but the interest of Mike and Joe in the painting did not let her put him down. Hahn carefully watched the unfinished drawing, which despite its early phase was pushing the vision she wanted to achieve.  
— Why chains — the Korean was interested, looking at Julia, who returned to the living room with the famous Mexican snack, which she prepared yesterday.  
— I am not able to answer — she muttered, putting the orange juice on the table —I will tell you about every drawing she creates, but I can not say about him, it arose spontaneously, without previous ideas, I just started drawing it, so I did not it resembles the effect that I intend to achieve — she spoke calmly when Shinoda took over the painting.  
— I'll tell you that it promises to be interesting.  
— If you let me finish it, give it to you, if you're still interested — she looked at Joe, who smiled at her words and happily accepted her idea.  
— Of course, if Mike does not think I'm going to change anything — she said with amusement, and the leader caught the attention of everyone, watching the small work closely.  
— For now I am not able to tell you what you could change, because only you know what the visual effect will be final — put down a piece of paper on the tabletop, grabbing a glass of fresh fruit.  
— But let's not deal with what I did to kill time – she took up the topic — Tell me how to perform — she asked the musicians.  
They spent the evening talking and talking about the experiences of the previous night. Julia hid the disappointment that had entered her when she saw their performance on television. However, she could be forgiving. She was happy that she could attend a concert of one of her favorite groups, even if she did not expect it. A remarkable nice deed from Michael, who gave her a bit of luck, getting to know the members of the band's hardcore group.   
Mike Shinoda walked slowly down the steps of his apartment. He hid a yawn covering his mouth with his hand. The night spent working on the next song in the home studio was extremely tiring. The awareness that he did not sleep the next days, put him in quite a bad mood, but the desire to create another song was too great to calmly sleep the eye. He knew that if his friends would find out about his evening escapades, they would not be happy. There were, however, days when he could not fall into the arms of the king of dreams, when many ideas walked on his head. He grabbed a white mug, putting water to the espresso machine. The aroma of caramel coffee was a salvation for him that day. He made fresh caffeine seeds, and the pleasant aroma rose in the air. Unexpectedly he heard a quiet squeak, as the musician was extremely sensitive to the sounds of the world around him. It was such a quiet color that it was practically inaudible. He paused for a moment to make sure that his mind did not make him cruel jokes, caused by exhaustion. Convinced that the whine was the product of his imagination he wanted to move away but the quiet barking repeated itself. He put down the glass with the hot drink, looking around carefully. Skowyt repeated again, and he was sure that it was not just the games of his mind. He stopped, searching for a sound source, in a silent voice, and went to the front door. He swung the door open, lowered his eyes as the quiet bark repeated itself. A tiny dog sat on the dark doormat, his fur covering dirt and blood. He could not help but notice that he was sitting on his hind legs with difficulty, and the red liquid dripping on the bright pavement. The dog looked at him with bright eyes, his blue eyes filled with hope. He could not pass this puppy around. It seemed to him that he was only a few weeks old, but the wounded in his body seemed deep and severe. He crouched beside his toddler and he cocked the sticky one when he gave him a warm smile.  
— Hi, how to get here — the puppy looked at him carefully, sincerely interested in how he would act. He knew that when he did, the dog would get scared and run away and he would avoid it.  
— Do not be afraid — he said in a calm voice, put his hand out to encourage him to approach him, his watchful gaze watching him for a moment. But he sensed the composure that surrounded the man with confidence and ran to him, as if not sensing his threat. Mike gently stroked him, he saw that the dog trusted him. He pulled his dark blouse covering the snow-covered puppy. A walk on a cold night cooled him a little, felt through the dark material as he trembled, but the warmth he offered was cuddled up in a warm sweatshirt. He could not leave him like that and he had to look after a defenseless pet. However, he had no idea what to do. He had to feed him and take him to the vet. However, he never had a dog in his home, which made it difficult to go shopping today. He reached for the phone by dialing his friend's number. He hoped Chester would help him. Bennington looked after Anica for two years and knew his dogs a little better. He never had a four-legged friend. With a sigh, he waited for the colleague to pick up the phone, but when he heard the sixth signal he hung up disappointed. He chose his sister's number with hope, he was not sure if he would pick up, because he knew he was still asleep at this early hour. When he heard the third signal he heard Chester's voice:  
—Hi Mike — he said in a happy voice.  
— Chester? — he asked slightly surprised.  
— He was surprised — he said happily — I've made a phone call — he added jokingly, as the teenager's scream rang out from the other side.  
— The old man called you.  
— I left my cell in the bedroom — he explained as he fled through the sister into the living room.  
— The old man needs help — He focused on the dog, who lay quietly barking on his colt.  
— Wait – he just said — Julia, wait — he shouted to his sister – Mike needs something.  
— Tell him to hurry, because we have to balance the bills — the teenager's words amused him.  
— Talk — He turned to his friend again when the 18—year—old stood at his side, angrily painted on his face.  
— I found a puppy on the doorstep...  
— You do not know what to do next — he added skilfully, reading his request.  
— You could say that — he explained.  
— I will come and take some food for animals, I bet you do not have such things at all — he added.  
He put down the phone when the friend terminated the call. Long did not have to wait for the siblings to appear on the doorstep of his house.  
— Can i see him? — Julia asked him when he let them into the apartment.  
— Of course — he pulled away the sweatshirt he covered the pet with a bit warmer. He closed his eyelids, enjoying the warmth and friendly touch of music, he felt well in his arms. Reluctantly, he opened a bright blanket watching the new person who accompanied him.  
— I can — she did not have to finish the point, because Michael understood what she was going to do. He gave her the pet by joining Chester. The teenager sat on the sofa, carefully observing the puppy. The reluctance that was visible in his eyes quickly disappeared when he felt like a licealistka delikatka głaszcze go po głowyce.  
— How did you find him? — She raised her head, meeting Mike's eyes.  
— You can say that he found me — he replied calmly — He sat in front of my house so I took him inside — he brought things a few minutes closer, watching carefully the puppy who was lying on the lap of young Bennington — He had to walk all night because he is terribly chilled I suppose you have a broken paw and got stuck on it, and what's more disturbing to me is blood, he added, feeling Chester's and his sister's eyes on him.  
— You have to take him to the vet — the singer appeared in the living room with a bowl of water — You need a specialist opinion, and if he is hurt he will need a dressing — he added when Julia put the dog next to the bowl, seeing something he could drink willingly approached.  
— I understand — he nodded.  
— I'll call the clerk where I'm taking Anika, I'll ask if they'll agree to accept this little boy, but I'm sure he does — pulled a bright phone out of the pocket. He left for the kitchen to be able to talk calmly.  
— What are you going to do now? — a friend asked him when she gave him lost favorite feed of their bitch.  
— First he wants to know that everything is fine with him, then I will see how things will go on — he sighed quietly.  
The older man returned moments after talking to the vet, with good news. The doctor agreed to accept the child at any time.  
They entered the clinic an hour later, the dog eagerly cuddled in the arms of the musician who did not allow him to walk alone in the streets of the metropolis. The desire to sleep was huge, but they could not let him fall asleep for research. He went into the office and the young doctor greeted them with a friendly smile.  
— Probably Mr. Michael? — The doctor started in work clothes.  
— Yes.  
— You can show me our patient — he asked going to one of the tables.  
Shinoda approached the young doctor, pushing the dog away from him. He laid it carefully on the platform, allowing him to examine the puppy.  
— I can say that he is very cold — to say, when he started to watch the dog carefully — Siberian Husky is very resistant to frost but it is only six weeks puppy so he did not develop well — continuing research explained that the dog had many wounds from bruises. The paw from which the scarlet liquid leaked was broken in two places. He started the broken limb earlier, by using it from the dirt he wore.  
— Please report to me in three weeks, remove the rail and assess the condition of the little one — he gave him several documents with the results of the research.  
Michael picked up the papers from the doctor, and the little patient was pleased with the teenager's arms, which could not stop her gaze from the dog.  
— Your girlfriend is delighted with the dog — commented the doctor.  
— I'm not together, it's my friend — he explained, seeing the questioning look of an elderly man.  
—Julia is my sister — said Chester, who went into the office.  
— You did not tell me about such a close family — he looked at his bright irises, to the music which he saw on the research together with his bitch.  
— Long story — he only waved.  
— I understand. I hope that everything is good with Anika?  
— I've never seen a happier dog — interrupted the teenager.  
— Especially that it's your favorite friend — her brother quipped.  
— I love her, but it does not mean that I do not have human friends — she reserved — Remember that we must seriously talk after returning home.  
— Chill young, it was just a joke — with a slow cork, they left the walls of the building moving into the parking lot.  
— Because of all your jokes, the whole bed is flooded. I still have not changed my opinion — her voice took on a somewhat dangerous tone.  
— Okay, I'll do it, just calm down.  
Brunet watched this exchange with undisguised amusement. He did not have to ask to understand that Chester was again finding an interesting way to get his sister off the bed. For the last weeks, it has become his everyday life, to somehow not annoy his sister. Mostly, however, they did not argue vividly about the jokes they liked to do.  
Time passed inexorably, Jay, under the care of the music, grew stronger, and the wounded paw healed more and more. After some time, he learned that the husky was abandoned when he hung up the announcements announcing that he had found a six-week-old puppy on the doorstep. From conversations with the neighbor of the former owners, he learned that the family had abandoned the little one because of going on holiday. Not wanting to leave him alone, he decided that he would take care of him and let him know that he would not be able to offer him a new home during his travels.  
Julia passed the driving test with a positive result. Yes, she made a mistake, but the examiner was so good that he turned a blind eye to her mistake, which she herself saw and gave her the power to drive motor vehicles. She was afraid that he might not receive it, the stress that accompanied her was unjustified according to Chester, because he believed in his sister. The support she received from him was unusually encouraging, and she felt that, as nobody can always count on good advice from her older brother. In spite of their arguments, she highly appreciated his opinion and the remarks he offered him. She felt the support she had missed for many years. She knew one thing, she did not want to leave him, come, she told him about her object, during one of the meetings in the orphanage they disappeared and enjoyed the life together with the musician.  
She walked restlessly across the bright panels of her bedroom. In two days, the school began, and it began with a fair of doubts. She was afraid of returning to the school wall, because a lot happened during these two months, and especially she regained her family. She was afraid of questions about her parents or siblings, worried about what the answer would be. In previous settings, her classmates were aware that she was raised in an orphanage and had no relatives, and even the questions of people who knew Linkin Park more about her powerful relationship with Chester always led them out of error, making them aware of their well-known fact. She sighed resignedly, leaving the bedrooms. She descended the bright steps, hoping to find a young musician in the living room. However, he was not seen by the game of his favorite football team watching him.  
She went to the terrace with the hope of finding him, she was not mistaken when she saw him sitting at the edge of the pool. The water's color took on a slightly purple color. The warm glow of the swimming pool lamps was illuminated by a garden in the dark.  
— Chester? — She sat down beside him, dipping her feet in the warm depths of the water.  
— What happened, baby? — he gave her a warm smile, wrapping his arm around her. She loved moments when they could spend time together in peace and quiet, talking not only on serious topics, but also a bit of fun. She liked her how he spoke to her. It came out quite unexpectedly, but she liked the words that fell from his lips. It may have seemed strange, but it was natural for them.  
— We can talk?  
— What's up? — seeing her sad face, he took on a serious face.  
— I'm worried about going back to school — she explained calmly, staring at millions of stars brightening the sky.  
— It's a surname, right? — She lowered her eyes, nodding gently.  
— In the previous high school, it was not a problem, because everyone knew that I was an orphanage, now it is completely different and I do not know how to act — she revealed the thoughts that had tormented her for many days and she knew that she could share her objections with them.  
— I know it's not an easy decision, Julia — he began quietly — The headmaster of your school knows about our relationship and will keep discretion, because I asked her to pay attention to you. I do not want to influence your decision and what you will say to your new acquaintance - he took her hand gently, knowing that it calms her down — I also do not want you to deny the family you regained. I know how you care about me, but I can not help you here. I can only advise you on how you can act, but you will have to talk to them.  
— What do you think I should do?  
— The only thing I can advise you is that you would live with your brother because your parents left you. Finish the topic on this statement.  
— They'll ask you if you're my brother — she said.  
— People are curious, and they are most interested in the life of public figures. I can not promise you that they will not ask because it is a small chance. If you do not want them to know that we are siblings, then say you moved to Los Angeles to your family, but you are not a person who likes to talk about it. You belong to secretive people so it will be easy to close the topic when you need it. I do not want to influence your words because I believe I can deal with it and you will find a solution to this matter.  
— You really think so.  
— Of course, I will always believe in you. I will help you always, but I will not always be with you, you have to deal with yourself in certain situations.  
— I'm asking your advice, I know how to do things differently, but this one is a bit embarrassing for me — She sighed softly, gently moving her legs under the water.  
— I am guessing, but she is a clever and clever girl, you can do it — he said with a dashing smile.  
— Thank you for believing in me – he answered, embracing him fondly.  
— I am your brother, how could I not help you.  
She laughed, letting herself be carried away by the cheerful atmosphere.  
— Do you remember our first meeting? — he asked her at some point.  
— I will never forget it — she laughed softly — As if nothing, the vocalist of my favorite band stands in front of me and declares that we are siblings. Chester did not manage to forget about it. She looked into his laughing eyes.  
— Life is full of puzzles — he only replied.


	17. TOM 1— REBEL : 16 —  TRUST WASS PERNICIOUS, TODAY IS MY SUPPORT

— No — she squeaked, feeling the cold, almost icy stream of water running down her face — Chester! — Her voice rang in a hollow echo of her apartment.   
She jumped up sharply, finding the half-bent Bennington laughing at the best. The amused gaze of his brown irises expressed satisfaction with the achieved goal. Today's wake-up slowly became their little tradition, but to a large extent, the young musician drove his sister crazy, not touched by her anger encouraged, he more and more tearing her out of her dreamy dreams, and then be able to flee from the high school girl in the heat of battle.  
— Five to zero for me — he laughed when the girl wiped his face with excess water — Tomorrow another point for me — he added even more joyful.  
— I will show you the fun — she jumped up violently from the warm bedding, embraced by the desire to take revenge, did not see when the clear sheet was tangled between her thighs, falling to the ground with a clatter. A bunch of malicious epithets fled from her lips, and unpleasant pain spread over her body.  
— You do it on purpose — she moaned softly, getting out of the clear material. She took the helping hand of the man who put her on his feet with agile movement.  
— Possibly — he replied, crossing his hands on his chest.  
— You pay for it — she threatened with a dangerous gleam in her eye.  
She glanced over her shoulder to see the time displayed on the electronic watch. The blue numbers indicated a few minutes after seven in the morning. She sighed quietly when she realized that she was starting her last year of high school education today. However, she did not feel fear or anxiety, it was strange to her. Although she was convinced that she should feel the stress associated with the new school, she got rid of these negative hunches after the last interview with Chester.  
— I will play out — she murmured angrily, turning back to Bennington overjoyed.  
— I will expect it —he said over his shoulder as he left his sister's bedrooms.  
— Make me a cup of coffee — she shouted after him as he disappeared into the dark doorway.  
Hearing laughter and words of assurance from his mouth. She stood in the doorstep of a rather spacious closet, trying to find out what interested her. She did not like dressing up like most girls, but she liked the slightly elegant outfit with the admixture of sporting things she often walked around the house. She repeatedly heard from her brother that if she could sit all day in sweatpants and loose T-shirts. Hastily she grabbed the spotted set of clothes and stood bored in the spacious bright bathroom.  
A quick shower slightly revived her senses after a rather hot night. She stood in front of the mirror, fastening the last buttons of a black and burgundy shirt, a dark T-shirt cleverly hiding behind a bright material, so that she would not reveal her body. She took off her bright braids from two braids, which yesterday she wore a certain fact that she would not have time to put on her slightly clear strands of hair. She looked carefully at the crooked mirror mirror. She smiled happily, putting on the unruly strand of hair behind her ear with curls stuck to one side, bright strands of hair wrapped around her cheeks. She could not help smiling when she returned home in the evening. The bright shade of the bronze she decided on surprised her older brother. It was a spontaneous decision she did not regret. She had never allowed herself to change or evaluate her hair before, but her sudden desire for a slight change in appearance satisfied her positively. She did not think that changing her color to two clothing paler than her natural color would make her feel a little happy. To some extent, she felt something had changed. She was particularly surprised by Chester's reaction when he saw her:  
— You'll dye for blond next time — he joked as soon as he saw her in a slightly changed hairstyle.  
— Blond would not suit me — she muttered, taking a sip of black tea — I do not want to do anything with you either — she added with amusement, feeling Chester's piercing gaze on her.  
— Do you think I looked bad?  
— I did not say that — She put the cup down on the table, eyeing his dark iris.  
— I am more enthusiastic about the statements of the fans — seeing his questioning look, she hurried to explain — Many people say blond is your natural color, not brown.  
— Girl, on what you portals you go, that you are reading such a theory — he looked up at her from the dark frames of glasses.  
— It's crazy about websites — she laughed softy — I've read so many fan ideas, sometimes also in the stories of the band — recalling the stories she marked on the literary portal. She giggled softly, remembering the content of one of them — Bennod is omnipresent.  
— What? — the young musician gave me a surprised look, almost choking on the last sip of a warm drink.  
She stared in disbelief at the giggling teenager who tried to suppress laughter, but could not be discreet enough. Laughter spread across the living room, with difficulty stopping the tears of amusement growing in the corners. She wiped away a single tear, unable to suppress her joy when Chester's face was white with sensation, contrasting with the bright upholstery of the couch.  
— I'm starting to be scared — he said slowly, putting the cup down on the table top – Julia, can you explain what's going on?  
— Okay, but do not blame me for moral damages — she said, tucking her hair into a messy bun, trying to explain her new concepts to her brother.  
— Bennoda, in other words, can be read as a heterosexual relationship between you and Mike.  
— Wait what!? — surprised he jumped up from the chair — So that he and he... — words trapped in his throat, he looked at the eighteen—year—old who finished his speech imperturbably.  
— Yes — the bloat of her statements was unambiguous.  
— Just tell me you did not read it? – He gave her a pleading look.  
— I did not have courage, besides I was not interested, but I do not hide it, it surprised me — she explained calmly, grabbing empty dishes, moving into the kitchen — Fans can draw a lot of guesses — said she hiding dirty dishes inside the dishwasher — I came across various stories, but I was most stunned by such stories.  
— Seriously, to write about the alleged relationship between me and Shinoda — he sat in a bar chair in astonishment.  
— Have not you seen various modifications on the Internet?  
— Young surprise me — he scolded her, hearing another stream of words and theories she found in the nooks and crannies of the network.  
—Best of all, if she shows it to you — she pulled the phone out of her baseball cap, squatting in the other chair. She typed in a phrase that interested her, finding the graphics she immediately showed Bennington. She watched as she watched, stupefied in another phototype, hid the joy that flowed over her lips. In the early years, she was amazed by these photographs as well as the fantasy of the band's spectators streaming down sheets of paper, then moving it to a post which was later read by many readers, now she approached it with some distance, and some things started to play with her sometimes.  
— I do not think I have any questions about it — He put the smartphone down on a bright table, looking at the face of the high school student, causing another young girl to have a fit of joy.

She broke free from the depths of her memories, hearing the urging of the young man to come down, because she would pass the first day late. She rejected the idea with make-up, slipped only the blue hairpin into the cascade of her brown hair, moving into the room. She grabbed the bag with the necessary notebooks and books, not forgetting about the phone and eyeglasses that have recently become her routine. She fled into the living room, staring at the steps of Wether Chester with a bright thermal mug filled with hot flavoring beverages.  
— Second Shinoda — he said, looking at her bright shirt, the torn trousers she wore to make up her clothes — Young I know you love Mike, but just to dress like him — He nodded, unexpectedly felt a sharp pain piercing him Throughout — It hurt — he complained, massaging the aching place — I wanted to hang you up to school and you pay me back — he resented the offended.  
— You could not compare me to Mike — she muttered quietly in his ear — I'll go on board when you do not want to disappoint me —She shrugged, taking the mug of steaming drink. She hung the bag over her shoulder, covering the vessel in the bag. She took bright blue sneakers from the wardrobe, slipping them onto her feet. She grabbed a board dressed in many colors, liked to skate on board but she did not do it often, but there were days when she grabbed four wheels and moved into the city to take the dose of youth she lost in Phoenix.  
They reached the modern school building, with a sigh looked at the new high school and the first fears began to loom.  
— Are you nervous? — led by voice, she turned to face Chester's warm look, smiled encouragingly.  
— A Little — she admitted openly, not daring to conceal her fears.  
— Remember what I told you, you will manage — he assured her, squeezing her gently — in the end you are my sister and not once made me believe that it is not worth messing with — he laughed, pushing her slowly away from him, the corner of her mouth twitched up immensely pleased with the patina — Skip in five minutes you start the lessons — from the corner of his eye he looked at his watch, hurrying the girl.  
— See you later – she opened the door, leaving the vehicle.  
— Skateboard — he reminded her, handing her the skateboard she had forgotten.  
She gave quick thank-you by hanging the bag over her shoulder. She walked slowly to the kindergarten door, noticing many students talking in small groups along the way. Girls hanging on their boys' necks were chattering softly in their ear. She looked away, crossing the threshold of the new high school. Chilly air hit her face as she entered the crowd of teenagers, trying to find the way to her cupboard.  
— Help you? — a girl's voice attacked her senses, she turned, saw a tall brunette in a light cream dress, her violet eyes were watching her with interest. Holding a stack of books in her arms, she smiled in friendship — Are you new? — she asked her, want her, make a good impression on her, but also the help she offered. She could not help but notice that she was slightly lost among the new walls of the school, with difficulty trying to find the corridor with its own number of cabinets.  
— Yes, that's what the first day is saling — she replied quietly, adjusting the board that slid off her shoulders.  
— Tell me, what is your cabinet number? — She looked at the card with the necessary information, finding the number of the locker.  
— Twenty—five — she read.  
— Beside me — the brunette grew livelier — Come On — she gripped her wrist tightly, squeezing through the small community of people.  
They reached the corridor lit by ceiling lamps. The lack of a solar world has forced the glow of light to be turned on. They stood by the gray box, hearing the assurances of the newly met girl that she had already arrived. By typing the code, she was glad that she no longer needed to carry a bag of notebooks. Hiding the board in the dark interior, she heard another teenager's question.  
— Do you skate on a skateboard?  
— Sometimes, as I feel like it — she replied, shrugging, grabbing a folder and a cup of freshly brewed coffee.  
— My boy is great — she got into discussions, and Julia had to admit that the girl loves to be the center of attention and what made her very funny was very curious, she eagerly came to her helping find a new environment, for which she was grateful — Maybe will you face him?  
— I'm not so good — she explained quickly — Sometimes I like to ride around the city, I'm not a driving champion — she replied, jumped violently when the sound started calling the students for the first lessons this year.  
— What are your first classes?  
— English with Adam Smith — she looked at the schedule, unable to remember the entire schedule.  
— You're in the last year. You have the same activities as me — said the 18—year—old, trotting for the class — Smith is a great teacher, you do not have to be afraid of him. If you need help or just talk does not treat you in advance, it will always be good advice — she explained as she passed the bright corridor, she did not notice when she reached the classroom door. My friend pushed the white wood into the room filled with students. They sat comfortably at their benches, listening to the words of the man who was circling among the students' desks for the first time checking the attendance list. He looked up from the dark frames, put them on his nose when two high-school students met them.  
— Adams Selena? — reading his name, he fixed his dark gaze on the posture of an eighteen—year—old boy.  
— Present — said a friend at her side, raising her eyes to hear the name of a slim brunette.  
— Forgive me — she murmured in a low voice, almost inaudible.  
— Can you explain your lateness? — unimpressed by his scolding eyes, she found the way to the desk, which she shared with her friend, arranging a dark folder on it, then turned to the thirty-year-old.  
— Excuse me, Professor, but I was helping a new friend — she explained with a motion of her hand, pointing at the young Bennington still standing in the doorway — It's the first day at school and it got lost. I did not help her?  
— It's nice of you, Selena, and now sit down — he ordered, his voice softening slightly. He turned back to the way out of the classroom, eyeing her with his dark irises. She moved restlessly under the influence of his insistent gaze, but she did not dare to speak and pay attention. Sensitive for many years.  
— Silence! — the teacher's raw voice boomed — Please, sit down — he ordered Julia, who only nodded her head slightly, and found a free bench at the back of the room, just a desk sat a newly met girl with her friend. She sat in a blue, rather uncomfortable chair, tossing a loose workbook and a book that they were supposed to rework on the desk.  
— I would ask you to get acquainted with Mr. Bennington with the school and introduce it to the regulations in the school corridors and classrooms — he instructed, strolling through the bright panels, opening the attendance list again, reading the names of the students.  
Due to the beginning of the class, the teacher after a short introduction to the teaching plan for this year's semester allowed the students to take care of their duties, but warned that they would not behave much louder. The talks were slim, they were practically not heard at all, eighteen-year-olds grabbed newspapers, or books that had not managed to get acquainted during the summer holidays were absorbed in reading. Julia, using the potential of two free hours, took out her favorite sketchbook, which she often took with her while opening the notebook on the page with an unfinished sketch of the actress. The challenge that was taken up in this sketch was quite interesting to fill the drawing with dots, she chose a smaller size of paper to see how it will go in this challenge because she wanted to make a bigger picture in a similar way. However, it was not the end of her efficiency in the paintings, she encouraged Michael and Joseph to play, who had knowledge of art and checked their skills in this method. They did not make it on time, but for the final look of the drawing, Shinoda and Hahn, who had heard about these paintings for the first time, wanted to test their skills. In this way, have equal chances, she, despite hearing about this technique, did not manage to play with her. The desire to compete with experienced artists more than her was exciting and interesting to the final effect. Absorbed in the picture, she did not hear the signal ending her first class, she did not notice how all colleagues left the halls leaving her with four friends. They gave in to prying eyes, decomposing alongside a new friend.  
— You draw — she raised her head, from the page filled with a sheet of paper, meeting the brunette's warm look.  
— Thank you — she replied, putting the pen in a case filled with many colorful pens, folding it into a roll.  
— I can look — she asked, noticing other paintings in a dark notebook.  
— You must be so annoying? — caught the slightly upset blonde sitting down on the desk.  
— Alex, honey, I can not help it, I was interested in her drawings.  
— It's not nice you did not even introduce yourself — she scolded her friend.  
The 17—year—old chuckled quietly, hearing the exchange between the girls. It seemed to her that their acquaintance had been going on for many years, because the words of the fair-haired girl did not make any impression on the new friend.  
— You do not have to worry, they often argue like that — said Louis in a baseball shirt with the logo of their high school, dressed in red and purple — Aaron — he introduced, reaching out to her. With a distance she caught her, shaking her slightly.  
— Julia — he answered quietly, closing the sketchbook.  
— Sorry, I did not have time to introduce myself — said the same girl who managed to help her reach the class — Call me Selena, and the beautiful blonde next to you is Aleksandra  
— Just Alex — interrupted the eighteen year old.  
— And I'm Nathan — the other boy finished, giving her a sincere smile.  
— I see that you love to draw. Have you registered for artistic classes? — Adams asked, playing with a black bobby bar.  
— Of course, although a friend thinks he does not need them.  
— He's stupid because he says so. The teacher is even cool, but she is demanding and will see every bad detail. She has a working eye and sometimes she flooded a few students, because they made a bad picture – said Aleksandra.  
— Do not say that! — She hissed softly, unable to bear that he was to mention Michael in that way.  
— Well — raised her hands in a defensive gesture — However, watch out for Evans, maybe it seems at first nice, but it is sharp — she muttered to mention the art teacher. She murmured, dissatisfied, remembering the activity that caused many problems to the students. The old woman did not like it when someone interpreted the thing dead in his image, told her to stick strictly to the rules she had set for herself. She felt compassion for her new friend when she arrived at her classes, because she could see her sketches, that she loves to play with colors, techniques or painting styles and could be difficult during her artistic classes.  
— Julia, I can ask you for a word — in the voice of the educator, she looked at the broad-minded guardian of the class, she agreed, putting aside an almost empty cup of coffee on the desk top. She was happy that Chester managed to prepare her aromatic substance, knowing how she hates getting up early, handed her a dish full of gods' drink with a delicate aroma of caramel which she loved.  
— What is going on? — She asked when they stood out of the way of the hustle and bustle that reigned.  
— I hope you feel good? — he was curious.  
— Of course, Professor.  
— I just wanted to ask you that if other students were bothering you and somehow insisted on explaining your origins, do not hesitate to tell me — he explained calmly — I know how teenagers can be tiring, so do not be afraid to talk about it, because we value Your safety. Your brother mentioned that he prefers to keep your family relationships secret and we will do everything to make you feel peaceful here  
— Well, thank you for these words.  
— You can leave, if you have no questions — she said goodbye to the teacher and went to the class where she left new friends.  
— You have to give me a recipe for this coffee — she heard after entering.  
She laughed softly, noticing her dark mug in Selena's hands, who had drunk the last sip of the drink.  
– An ordinary drink, it's no different from the rest – she said, but she had to admit that Bennington was doing one of the best drinks she drank. The sweet aroma that danced with the coffee beans was perceptible with each gulp.  
– No – the girl said firmy – I've never had such a good drink – she muttered, closing her eyes gently under the influence of the warm aroma of the substance.  
– The source is freshly ground coffee beans and a little caramel syrup every day – betraying the recipe for her favorite drink she sat back in her place.  
– Excellent – she murmured cheered, passed her tongue gently on the lips, feeling the last aftertaste of the drink.  
She laughed softly when the notification sound reached her. She took the phone out of her pocket, unlocking the wallpaper screen, where she showed a picture of laughing Chester over her shoulder. She loved to look at this photo because she made her very happy. She read the message.

How is my secondary school graduate?  
Chester

Okay, my dear brother.  
Julia

My friend tasted your coffee. You'll have to do it to me every morning.  
Julia

She read his reply in a hurry when the next class began. The teacher, slightly belated, entered the room with a mug of hot tea:

Have you found a coffee gourmet bigger than you?  
Chester

She pushed the device into her purse, again turning to her drawing, which slowly came to an end. She counted on completing it this morning.  
The classes passed her in a cheerful atmosphere, and despite her fears, no one was violent to her, and urgently asked for the secret which she held. She was aware that this might change, but she hoped it would not happen much soon. She left the school building, saying goodbye to a group of colleagues, throwing the board on the asphalt road, put the bag on her shoulder, which did not weigh her as before, because many books and notebooks got rid of in the back of the school locker. She rode into her favorite park, stopping at the edge of one of the sidewalks trying to find her favorite sunglasses in the back of her purse.  
– Where are they? – She whispered softly under her breath, peering inside the bright backpack. She felt the package under her fingertips in which she held it, and the corner of her mouth rose up. She pulled them out of the box, putting them on her nose, moving on. The strolling residents of the metropolis hid under the shadows of trees resting after a hard day, noticed many students returning from school activities flitting on skates or boards heading home for a hot meal to be able to talk to their parents or do a school class that was practically gone. She turned around, looking around at the well-known park, without noticing anything that could attract her attention for a long time. She reluctantly moved toward the flat.  
After a while she reached the villas with a handy gesture grabbing a colorful skateboard, removing the flat. She slammed the door, putting things aside to be welcomed by Anike barking happily at her. She greeted the dog, gently scratching her behind her ear for which she loved her owners. She suppressed a yawn, slightly tired, going to the kitchen. She found a short note on a light countertop, grasped the paper in her hands reading Chester's words:

Lunch is waiting in the oven, all you need is to warm yourself up.  
You do not have to go out with Anika. I'll be back in the evening.  
A pleasant afternoon  
Chester

She put the message back in place. She knew that they could write electronic information to each other, preferring not to strive for technology. Short notes that did not mean much were always welcome, and she appreciated it very much. She switched on the oven again so that the pleasant smell of lasagna spread across the kitchen, the aroma of baked dishes brought the golden retriever to the room. She laughed softly at the tail wagging her. She stroked her head, feeling the soft fur tangled between her fingers. Hearing the signal of a quiet pekanie, she took out a transparent dish on the kitchenette. She hissed softly when she felt the unpleasant hot spreading on her face as she opened the lid. She took a plate from the inside of the cupboard, putting on a small portion of the aromatic food, grabbed a soda from the fridge, moving to the dining room.

– I'm telling you that this is a good idea – she murmured quietly, falling to one side when she heard the conversations that took place in the hallway. She moaned softly, wanting to return to the dreamland again, Anika sleeping in her legs was also not happy with the interruption of a quiet afternoon nap. She barked annoyed until Julia took her in, which immediately calmed the bitch.  
– My own dog against me – He did not pay attention when Bennington stood in the salon in Delson's presence, closing his eyelids again.  
– She would be asleep, – she heard his irritated tone – Someone reminds me.  
– Do not look at me like this! – guitarist defended – It is not my fault.  
– I do not sleep in confidences – she muttered quietly, not even wanting to look at the musicians.  
– I am not an informer of a young viper – he replied, snorting, then fleeing the cushion that flies toward him. She jumped up from the sofa grabbing the next couch and chased after the brother who disappeared on the bright steps of the residence.  
– Hi Brad – she shouted in a hurry welcoming a laughing brunette.  
– Help you? – He cried when he heard the vocalist screaming on the upper floor and the battle cries of his sister.  
– I'll make it – he heard her answer.  
The man sat down on one of the armchairs, waiting for the end of the dispute between the Bennington siblings. There were fights between them, which ended in a similar way as today, even if they were present members of the group did not willingly burn to help the singer because I was happy to see him leveling his scores with a young girl. It became a game for them, in which they liked to participate.  
– JULIA! – he jumped up violently, hearing the roar from the upper floor of the house. He ran up the stairs, led by voices to one of the bathrooms.  
He stood dumbfounded, rubbed his eyes in amazement to see the unusual situation. The older man stood drenched from head to toe, the damp clothes clinging to his body, and drops of water running from the bleeding hair. He could barely suppress a fit of laughter, noticing in the hands of the teenagers a shower head, her styled hairstyle was destroyed by excess water, but the stream of drops of water was not dripping from her clothing.  
– I told you that I would play! – Teach for all those rainy mornings, she said with satisfaction.  
– I did not have to pour all the water on me – muttered a frosted man, pulling off a dark T-shirt, displaying many of the colorful tattoos that adorned his body.  
– You know how I hated you when you doused me, now feel what it is – she said quietly, pulling off the hair strands of hair that, despite its lighter color, became slightly darker under the influence of soaked brown hair cascades.  
– I do not like you – he grumbled, taking the towel from her.  
– I'm afraid your quarrels may end up in the hospital – Delson said as the teenager walked past him, drying her hair with a light cloth.  
– Rather, it will not hapten – she shouted from the hallway.  
– You really have to tease yourself – he said to the singer, who got rid of soaked clothes, staying only in his underwear.  
– Even if we did not do it, it passes by itself – he explained scrupulously – We can do nothing and we can do something about it.  
The musician sighed quietly, returning to the living room, letting his friends change and dry off a small word that ended in the bathroom. He sat on the sofa, on which Anik still slept soundly with unintentional struggle between the owners.


	18. TOM 1— REBEL : 17 — OUR PAST HAD COLORS OF WITHE AND BLACK

A faint shadow seeping from a tiny lamp lit up the darkened office. Painted with many canvases, which proudly hung on the bright walls, decorated the scantily decorated room. The newspapers, scattered on the bright floor, have been yellowed for years, hidden in a dusty attic, so that they can now serve the artist as a kind of lining, preventing the coloring of the oak panels. A single chest of drawers hid in a narrow corner, hiding many necessary painting tools or canvases inside. Many sketchbooks were scattered on the dark counter of the only desk, the open sides of the blocks showed a sketch of a girly face that seemed familiar to the man's heart. Pencils carelessly spread between the notebooks convinced that just a few moments earlier they were carefully used, allowing to create another dark-white drawing. A quiet scent of silence was interrupted only by a small snoring on a small sofa, where the glow of a small bulb could no longer reach. The dark-haired man lay comfortably on the dark sofa, noise that would disturb this harmonious moment, prevent him from waking up from where he liked to be. Husky, who saw that his master had plunged into the land of eternal dreams, found a comfortable place by his shoulder, closed his blue eyes, and then land in a world where young musician drifted.  
The display of the dark phone lit up with a bright glow, reflecting off the dark ceiling. A friend's photo showed the ID of the caller. The vibrating device did not allow a break to get in touch with Michael. The vocalist murmured something quietly in his sleep, hugging his cheek on the soft couch. The secretary's voice rose in the air, and then the voice of a friend rang:  
— Hi Mike, please call me back as soon as you listen to it — the ticklish touchdown ended the call. The watch tip stopped at the eighth point when the signal stopped.  
He rolled over, restraining his hands anxiously, when he was breathing uneasily when he was driven by omens. The puppy awake anxiously turned his eyes to the taut face of his beloved master. He turned his head, then, after a moment, to see Michael tighten his fingers on the dark cushion of the couch, quiet words escaping his lips to disappear in the dark fabric. He leaned over the musician to let him lick his cheek, so that he could wake up from the nightmare that led his heart. He reiterated his deed, seeing as the man's eyelids rise.  
— Thank you, Jay — he murmured softly, tickling his poo behind his ear.  
He reached for the phone, taking it from the dark desk top. Unlocked the screen, and notifications missed a conversation crossed the photo. He chose the friend's number by putting the earpiece to the ear. He did not wait long when Chester's friendly voice spread across the other side.  
— Hello, you finally decided to pick up — he felt that his friend was not too happy about the fact that he did not find him during the first attempt to connect with him.  
— I'm sorry Chester, I'm tired — he muttered heavily, rubbing his sleepy face with his hands. He suppressed a yawn that he would not allow himself to show that he had not spent the last nights in bed, but he had again fled to work to keep his thoughts away from the disturbances of his soul.  
— Dude, what's going on? — frightened by his words, he mellowed. He knew well that Michael had moments of unexpected change in the mood, and the more he was afraid of it after quite spontaneous and tiring disintegrate him in connection with his former partner — Mike, you're working again? When did you last sleep? — he insisted on explaining.  
— It's not important — he said, rising from the couch.  
— Michael! — Bennington's scared tone of fear, he let it out of his lungs, telling.  
— Four days ago.  
— Mike!  
— Do not stout — he said almost pleading, descending the steps to the lower floor of the villa.  
— Will you finally listen to us? I asked you not to strain your health. Do you remember what happened lately when you dismissed my words and fled to work on the album? — he rested his hands on the counter of the kitchenette, closing his eyes, recalling the memory of that night.  
— Chester I can not do otherwise! – he tried to make his voice sound sure, but he failed himself at this important moment.  
— We both know perfectly well that you can.  
He sat on a bar stool, propped his hands on a bright table, tired of eyes, looking at the lit diodes on kitchen cabinets.  
— Mike, take control. I do not want to visit the hospital because you fell out of exhaustion — he said calmly.  
— I will try — he gasped, raising his eyelids.  
— Listen to my advice, Mike, you are my friend and I care that you feel good — he said.  
Suddenly, rumor came to Michael's ears on the other side. He frowned, trying to understand what had happened.  
— What's wrong with you, Chazz?  
— Nothing special — he replied, suppressing the growing laughter — Young sits in the kitchen and bakes something. I will go to see what happened there, because I was worried myself — he explained, rising from the chair — Go to sleep and I ask you, do not create anything new today — he reminded him, entering the bright salon.  
— Well.  
— I have one more case, Mike, before you hang up! Let's meet tonight at this club as usual.  
— You want to talk about something — he caught his words.  
— Yes, but it's not a phone call — he explained quickly.  
— I will be waiting for you.  
— See you later  
— Hey.  
He put the phone down on the locker, sliding off the high chair. He murmured softly, he did not feel sorry for Chester. He shuddered uneasily at the memory of the evening he was discussing with his friend. He drew his thoughts from uncomfortable moments, grabbed the cool juice hidden in the recesses of the refrigerator, filling the glass with an orange substance. He took a sip, setting it on the living room table, dropped onto a soft sofa, grabbing a music magazine resting on a clear dresser, delving into the book.  
He woke up the next morning, when the irritating sound of the intercom spread around the apartment. He moaned softly in pain, looking around carefully, saw that he had fallen asleep in the living room. He straightened up, clenching his lips into a narrow line as shivers made him uncomfortable. Unaware when he delved into the land of dreams. He wiped his tired face, walking slowly to the front door. He turned the key, opening the dark wing.  
— Finally — said the man standing on the threshold.  
— Hi Mark — he let him through the door, leading him along the brightly lit corridor.  
— You look bad — he remarked when he gave him a rather scoffing look.  
— I just got up — he explained, arranging a cup of freshly brewed coffee on a trained table. He sat down at the side of his school friend taking a sip of a dark drink.  
He saw Mark as he accepted the nod, grabbing a bright mug of warm caffeine. He drank some of the dark substance, arranging the vessel on his thighs, watching the younger man with attention. He did not see Shinoda often in such a terrible condition. They met sometimes, but then did not show fatigue or any signs of weariness. The last conversations focused mainly on the project on which they undertook cooperation. He knew well that the artist was a professional and everything he had to do had to be refined to the last detail. Years of separation separated them slightly and he forgot about the habits of a junior high school student with whom he founded a music group. He sighed quietly when he heard him settle in and wait for him to change. He rushed into the bedroom, leaving him alone sitting in the living room, drunk another sip of coffee, looking around the lit morning sun of the walls. His attention was drawn to one of the pictures standing on the dresser between the photographers of his friends and relatives who were on the way to Michael's heart. The photograph showed an overjoyed musician who was looking with joy at the tiny girl who had let herself be embraced in a tender embrace, a look of clear ocean waves, behind the person behind the camera's lens. He frowned as he tried to recall the moment of meeting this young woman with concentration. A premonition that he had met her imprisoned in his mind, not letting go. He tried to revive the image of the teenager in his memory. However, it had no effect on his thinking. He looked up as the rapper's soft voice reached him:  
— Mike, can I ask you a question? — he looked piercingly at the young man, who nodded slightly, waiting for his further words — I have the impression that I met this girl — he pointed his hand at the frame with his photo in the embrace of his friend's sister.  
— You remember Chester's party a few weeks earlier — he began to explain, holding his unfinished drink in his hand.  
— Yes — he admitted.  
— The girl you are asking is Julia his younger sister — Wakefield's eyes brightened when his mind attacked the evening where he met a frightened high school student who, frightened by his presence at the beginning of the party, stayed with his older brother, fearing a newly met person. The moment of uncertainty passed as the first promise of alcohol started circling in their veins, and she let herself be carried away into the whirl of dance steps he offered her. Amused by his earlier prejudices about the uncertainty of his skills in social dances, she allowed him to roll in the Bennington salon.  
— Indeed — he laughed honestly, turning to Shinoda — A young lady who refused you later songs  
The echo of their laughter spread across the bright walls of the room, reminiscent of the memory of the manager.  
— Someone would have me tired of dancing — he replied with amusement, climbing up the stairs to the upper floor of the house.  
— It was great for her — he replied with a sneer, sending him a malicious smile.  
— I saw it.  
He sat down on his favorite chair, turned to focus on the program that had been on, which had not accompanied him from the beginning of his passion with the creation of music tracks.  
— Can I ask you something? — suddenly Mark's voice tore him from his thoughts. He turned in a leather chair, focusing his gaze on his slightly overturned face.  
— Sure.  
— Quite a personal question, but are you and Taylor together? — He clenched his hands in a firm grip and his knuckles turned white. He closed his eyelids at the mention of his ex—wife's name. Breath would trap him in his throat as he tried to control the suppressing scream. He opened his eyes feeling somewhat unsteadily under the influence of the curious look of his colleague.  
— No — he said rather coldly — Nothing connects me with her but divorce dokuments — he murmured in a low voice.  
— You were a chosen pair — Wakefield remarked, recalling the beginnings of a relationship of young people who did not make a wise decision to marry without getting to know each other enough to see what the next years of living together would give them. The wedding ring that she shared with her had long since blown up. Although he kept her picture for some time. The symbol that joined them has long ago landed in garbage.  
— I could not let she cheat on me and lead me by the nose.  
— What do you mean? — he grabbed the back of the second chair, bringing it to him.  
— She cheated on me — he said in a low voice, the older man moved uneasily hearing the almost poisonous tone of his friend — Let's not touch this topic. I could not get rid of it for a long time and I do not like to move to mention it.  
— Good — he nodded slightly, not daring to ask more questions. He respected his request and did not investigate further information about the young woman.  
He focused on the screen, which showed the next fragments of the song they were working on. They did not do this for any occasion, they wanted to do something together in the old days and not necessarily letting it go online. He listened to the expression of a dark-haired man who told him what changes he had made to their composition.  
— Okay, you can start — listening to his commands when, after a long conversation, he stood behind a microphone stand like in the old school years.  
He looked at the text written on a piece of paper folded in half, in small speakers the notes of the song resounded, closed his eyes, letting the music fill him. Why did he give up at such a young age when he left his friends? He asked himself this question just after leaving Xero. It was not for the sake of reason that he did not enjoy the lead vocals in the band, but he was saddened by further defeats which only the beginning rock band was referring to. Beginnings can be difficult, many people are discouraged by unsuccessful moments and give up the very beginning of the fight for their dreams, he was one of those people. He was constantly tormented by the record label's representatives who thought they could not cope on such a great music scene, the chances of conquering the world with their compositions were slim. He was deeply touched by these remarks, which began to create his unwillingness to create new songs and he less and less wanted to grab the microphone and give his voice in the verses of the songs. He thought about it for a long time before making the final decision he later made to his friends. He saw that they were not delighted with his departure, but they did not abate them and continued to wander into this world wanting to release their music.  
Finding a new vocalist in his place was not easy, he was present at Michael when his band tried to emerge a new singer. Moving away from them did not mean breaking his relationship with the group of twenty-year-olds.  
He remembered the day when he was invited to the evening by Shinoda and introduced him to Bennington as the band's new frontman. He had to admit that the boy's vocal abilities made him very respectful. He managed much better with certain parts than him. They needed such a person to be able to grow and their songs finally acquired the energy that was lacking. He did not have any complaints about replacing his place with a new singer, because he made the decision himself, which he had to admit openly did not regret. Chester worked perfectly well and with a smile he watched as a group of high school students and then college students make their first successes on a national and then global scale.  
— As you think? — Mike lifted his head as he rested his hands on his chair as the last notes of the song fled.  
— Okay, but I'd add a bit more guitar — he revealed his object.  
— Righteous note — said the musician — I will deal with this next time, because I will be leaving soon — he looked at the watch standing on the elevated without realizing the passage of time. They had spent so much time locked up that he did not notice when the hands pointed dangerously at 6 o'clock.  
— We have been somewhat longer Adelaide will not be delighted that I am coming back so late — he murmured in a low voice, leaving the home recording studio — I promised her that I would come back before four — he explained when a friend gave him a curious look.  
— The eternal cavalier settled down — Michael quipped, accepting a rather painful poke in his ribs.  
— Be quiet, Shinoda! — he scolded him, putting on dark shoes — You do not have to oblige the mausoleas, now you have a free hand. You can tear a girl unscrupulously.  
— Mark, I'm not eager for any relationship right now!  
— Because someone else turned you over — he said in a neutral voice, reminiscent of an eighteen—year—old friend.  
— Do not even think about it! — he warned, but a gentle smile blossomed on his lips.  
— See you later  
— Hi — he said, closing the dark wooden door behind him.  
He sat in a crowded place in the evening, looking wearily as the young waiter was preparing more colorful drinks, he saw that he was getting lost in the drinks, but he did not show signs that he started work for only a few days. He grabbed the prepared drink, taking a sip of a colorful drink with a touch of many percent. He pulled out the phone to make sure what time it was. The twenty minutes he spent at the bar waiting for Bennington to appear, but he could not see what he was starting to worry about. Chester did not tend to be late, it might have been a surprise the singer liked to be punctual at any social or business meetings. He let out a silent sigh, tapping a message to his friend, but the friend's hand stopped him. He looked up to meet the warm smile of his patron and his apology.  
— Forgive me, I had to fall into Brad on the way, because the young man left him a car — he explained, sitting down in a free bar chair.  
— You've got two cars —Michael suggested as he summoned the waiter.  
— I left the Mercedes in the workshop, because recently had some problems with braking — he explained, giving the young boy his order.  
They delved into the conversation about irrelevant matters, when the employee of the apartment brought Bennington his drink, they moved to a table in the corner of a dark room lit only with LEDs flowing down, because the ceiling to find their place on the dance floor, giving the dancing couples their splendor. Chandeliers hung on the walls gave a little refreshment in this gloomy place.  
— You did not talk to her about it? — Shinoda surprised, when the music quieted down a bit and he listened to the vocalist's explanations.  
— There was no occasion to tell her — he took a sip of the drink, turning back to the brunet.  
— In the end you will have to talk to her about it, forgive me for interfering, but you strain in three weeks and Julia does not even know that you are publishing your solo album.  
— That's what worries me.  
— What do you mean? — He studied his worried face with care. He sighed quietly, resting his hands on the table.  
— I did not tell anyone about it, because the young does not want anyone to know about it, but — raised his chin turning to Michael before he could hear the words of protest from the other man — Julia has anxiety. There are days when he has panic attacks and needs someone by his side.  
— Does it look serious? — his confession troubled him.  
He did not have the courage to say anything. The shocking words of his friend made him slightly sad. He did not suspect that young Bennington was suffering so much.  
— Unfortunately, yes — he answered with a sigh — Many times I asked her to let me write her for therapy, but she strongly opposes it. Mine moments in which he needs my help, because he can not cope, that's why this trip bothers me. I am not worried about the fact that I can not help myself, because I know very well that I can manage without me. I am more worried that she will have another attack and I will not be able to protect her.  
— You do not want to worry her that you will leave her for two months without your care — Michael said.  
— Yes, Mike — he admitted honestly – I do not want to give her up at that moment, because I know that someone must be with her then. I do not want to cancel the route, but I do not know what to do with Julia.  
— That's a bold move on my part — Mike said quickly, when the first thought came into his mind, he did not even want to analyze it as he often had, but seeing the worried face of friends — I can help you protect her from these attacks.  
— You mean spending time with her until late?  
— Yes — he agreed with a slight hesitation in his voice, only after saying these words he realized what a mistake he had made. He thought quietly in his head for his folly. Before he could speak, Bennington spoke up.  
— The idea is not stupid at all, but it will not be a problem for you?  
— Chester, I know how worried you are about your sister and she wants to help you, if I can protect her from doing panic in such a way, I will be happy to spend more time with her.  
— I have to think about it — he admitted, after a long moment, in which there was a silence quite awkward for both of them.  
Leaving the bar an hour later, Michael was still in doubt as to whether he did well. He was always eager to help his friend, if in this way he would be able to blame him from the worry that had been tormenting his mind for several days, he was ready to do so. However, whether the spontaneous decision will bring some benefits. He did not want Chester to go on the road in fear that he would call him saying that his sister had landed on a hospital bed because in a panic which would take her hurt her at the moment when she could not control her troubled emotions. He went down to the underground subway glad that he did not have to wait for the train. He got into the compartment at the last moment when the door slammed shut. He found a vacant spot resting his forehead on the cool quick looking down at the gray walls of the underground tram.  
He left such well-known restaurants, hiding a black wallet deep inside the sweatshirt, holding a textured mug with a warm drink in his hand. The aroma of caffeine hovered in the air. He walked along the sidewalk, slowly drinking a sweet drink, he saw many tourists heading for the beaches in Santa Monica, the residents of the city rushed to their duties, also like many, had to go to work, but he was lucky that he had no pissed off boss, who rushed him to his duties every morning. There were, however, situations when he had to face a fierce Michael, but such moments were only in moments of the last divorce case with his ex-wife. But the intimacy that connected him with Shinoda was strong enough that he did not feel sorry for him when he was frustrated that he was late for a few minutes to meet. He could say that his comments were then released in spite of his ears, because they knew how nervous he was about court proceedings.  
He wandered through one of the alleys, when his call was caught by someone's call, looked over his shoulder when a familiar voice reached him. A slight smile lit his face when he saw Mark in the company of a girl with bright chocolate hair. He saw their clasped hands, which surprised him immensely. He knew Wakefield when he was a high school boy, and he was always a type of playboy who loved to break girls' hearts by adhering to the rule that he would never make a permanent relationship with any partner. Did he finally find the one who managed to temper his character of the podrywacz?  
— Hi Brad — he greeted him, squeezing his hand.  
— Hello Mark, what are you doing here? — He became curious, putting the cup to his other hand.  
— As you can see walking — he said with a small laugh, then hissed softly in pain, feeling a painful stab in his chest.  
— I am leaving for a few days on tour with my team and Adelaide wants to have me only for myself during this time — he replied, dodging another painful blow.  
— You better stop me and do not laugh — she scolded him, scolding him with the eyes of his dark eyes.  
— Excuse my love — he said in a slightly gentle tone — Brad is my girlfriend Adelaide Fletcher — She grabbed the musician's outstretched hand, squeezing it lightly — Honey, this is Brad Delson, whom I told you about — he said to her grounded face.  
— Nice to meet you finally — the guitarist smiled at these words.  
— I did not think anyone would end our devil in the end — he laughed sincerely, accepting the furious gaze of an elderly man and the amused eyes of a woman.  
— It was not easy, but somehow it worked — fingers clamping on Wakefield's wrist.  
— The right person in the right place — he praised her and she accepted the compliment with a huge smile.  
— Let me ask you what you are doing here — Mark, curiously, perched on a dark wooden bench.  
— I went to the studio, we are working on another record and there is a lot of work — explained squatting next to him — Part of us want to catch up with something because Chester leaves for two months and we want to have a bit more paths prepared — revealed his plans. He knew a lot about Chester's solo project and his long absence so he was not afraid to talk about it. However, he did not understand why Bennington had not mentioned his sister's departure so far, and even more surprising him that the young girl did not indicate the desire to explore this information on the Internet as if she was not curious about what was happening. He could partly understand that she did not participate in the life of their team as in previous years because many things she learned were passed on to her, so it did not make sense to look at fan forums, but she was astonished that she lived in the unconsciousness of her brother's departure.  
— A solo project? — inquired.  
— Yes. He publishes the album soon, then goes to concerts around the States — he explained, drinking a dark drink.  
— I'm willing to listen — Fletcher said, vividly interested in the ongoing discussion.  
— I'm waiting for the premiere myself to listen to his CD — he admitted openly. Yes, the vocalist showed them the initial sketches of the song, but they knew that they made huge changes on the album and was very curious about the final effects that their friend has achieved.  
— Greet him from us when you meet — said Mark when they said goodbye after a short conversation. Delson picked himself up from the wooden seat, then receiving Farrell's phone call asking him to come to the label.  
— Well, see you later — he waved them back, speeding up the pace to reach the recording studio.


	19. TOM 1— REBEL : 18 —  ATTENTION IS WHAT I DO NOT WANT

Climbing on the bright grades of the vilnius, she felt the sunshine warming her, its warm glow falling through the glazed walls of the apartment, and their radiance fell on the polished bright wood spread on the insulated floor. She defeated the last step in a modestly decorated hallway. It was put on minimalism, which he did not hurt in the eyes, but also did not make the place littered with unnecessary details. The white commode standing in the middle of the corridor was the only significant element. A glass vase with a bouquet of freshly cut white rose flowers. Tiny, transparent beads reflected on the walls of the capillaries, creating a small and modest composition. Decorated with paintings of the wall of a light cream substance adorned the corridor, and the narrow down carpet added coziness. One light source were tiny LEDs mounted in the ceiling. She paused at the end, searching anxiously at the pockets of maroon baseball, but nowhere to see the white phone with the logo of a bitten apple. If she does not find him, her joke will not work. She chewed him from one of the pockets of bright jeans. She smiled in satisfaction, grasping the cell phone. Unlocked the screen, noticing the new notifications that shared the picture of her and Chester in half. She ignored them, hoping to check them out when she had time for that. She entered the music app, browsing through the songs saved in it. She picked up the single she wanted, setting it on the start card, locked the device, still holding it in her hand.  
She crept quietly into one of the bedrooms, tilting the wooden sash noiselessly. A shadow of amusement lurched in her bright irises as she looked around at her well-known bedroom. The room, decorated in white and black, decorated the walls of the young musician's asylum. There was a lot of room here, which in her room did not bother the old Bennington in any way. In the middle stood a large black mahogany bed, the bedding was kept in colors, and the various shapes of the pillows were kept in applause of red and black. The dark cabinets were adorned with bright night lights, which enveloped the room with their brightness late at night. There were also frames with photos of the nearest people, two photographs. Photos taken many years ago where the man stood in the embrace of the mother and the second photo showed her when she was full of enthusiasm hung on his neck.  
On the opposite side, there was a built-in fireplace built into the dark stone. A comfortable blood-red lay in front of the hearth. Two comfortable armchairs stood in the middle of the table to sit in the comfort of a winter evening, warming up after a long day. There was a wardrobe door behind a light commode. Everything made me want to stay here and not go out.  
She remembered every moment spent in it, and with the course of events she did not regret her decision to be able to live with her missing brother. She had many reasons for joy or smile, which undoubtedly changed her view of the world around her. All thanks to this young artist who gave her long lost peace and gave her a safe refuge in which she could hide.  
She shook off her inner monologue, returning to her plan.  
It's good that Anika was outside to run after the huge yard, when the walk was not enough for her to unload her energy.  
She opened the cell again, amplifying to the maximum volume, and after a while the room was filled with quite strong guitar riffs and irritating Adam Gontier's voice singing, or rather shouting the chorus of Pain. With difficulty, she stopped the burst of joy as she watched Chester rush open from the warm bedding, looking around, seeking the culprit for such a violent and irritating motive. He did not want to return to the real world, when he was dreaming in sleepy omens, he dreamed his dreamed dreams:  
— Julia Jessica Bennington! — he thundered, seeing how a girl, she could not control the joy of hitting her lips, and the room filled her sincere joy — Do you think it's funny? — He crossed his hands over his chest, peering at her from under the lightly closed eyelids. He wanted to be serious and threatening, but the effect was far from intent when Julia again burst into laughter.  
— Of course — she said with extraordinary lightness in her voice, turning off the song, throwing her cell into the maroon pocket of her sweatshirt — Like you see your face — she mocked him, still laughing at the singer's reaction.  
— Very funny — he said in a sour voice, hovering from comfortable pillows.  
— You think I'll stop at this — said the teenager, falling to the scattered bedding. She rested her chin on her hands, smiling, watching Chester disappear behind the door.  
— Knowing our accounts — he leaned forward, dressed in dark denim pants in a hurry, putting on a bright T-shirt, which he managed to get — No.  
She rose from a rather comfortable mattress, strolling along the red down carpet.  
— You have your answer, Chazz — she said, putting her hands in her pants pocket.  
Unexpectedly, an annoying doorbell sounded throughout the apartment.  
— Who is normal and comes to people by seven in the morning! — Muttered Julia, disgusted, following the source of the unpleasant noise.  
— I have no idea — her brother called back from the bathroom.  
— Hurry up better, because in the kitchen waiting for you warm pancakes — she threw on going, wanting to check who he dared to bother them.  
She ran down the stairs with bare feet, run on cold wood only in the few places bathed in the brightest star, the pleasant warmth felt. He defeated the distance separating it from the front door, pressed the handle, opening it wide, but did not see anyone. With the intention of closing the dark wing, but noticing the package on the doormat. She reached down, grabbing the brown cardboard in her hands, scratching her head, trying to remember if she had been ordering something recently, but she could not recall anything. Being convinced that the package belongs to her older brother, she turned the surprise in it, reading the initials of the ordering party. What I was surprised that it was her name. She closed the entrance to the flat with a silent crash, moving to the living room. She picked up black scissors from the kitchen along the way, settling herself on the comfortable sofa.  
— What is that? — She looked up, meeting the curious face of the vocalist, who sat comfortably at her side, laying his feet on the low table.  
— I have no idea — she said, cutting open the gray tape that was sticking the package.  
— Since when are you awake? — the unexpected question shook her, she put down the box, looking at him gravely.  
— Why do you ask?  
— Worry — he muttered, sliding his feet off the pale glass.  
Julia was pondering the words that worried him. He looked eloquently at her slightly dark circles under his eyes and a slightly bloodshot white. Come on, she tried to cover up the make-up, he knew too well when these moments happened. Moments full of drugs and anxiety. Making it destroy it from the inside. Leaving a havoc that she could hardly rebuild for the next days. She was afraid to show her weaknesses, and despite the certainty that she should not be doing this, she still had an undefined uncertainty which she could barely overcome. However, months spent in the presence of Chester in the most difficult for flashes of his trauma could boldly say when he lies to him.  
— Four o'clock in the Morcing — she said, dropping her gaze to the bright panels of the room.  
It amazed her that he did not shout at her, nor did he hold any claims. Frightened, she looked up, hearing her sigh softly.  
— Julia, you should not conceal it from me. I know I will not be able to predict more attacks, but I am asking you, second time, call me — put his hand gently on her shoulder — We both know how badly these bad attacks work on you.  
— You will not save me from them — she cried, apprehensive.  
— Yes, but I do not want you to be alone at the time. You remember how it happened recently — she grimaced at the mere mention of that day. That was the first time, and for the last time, Chester was a little angry with her when he saw the deep wounds on her legs when, in grief and terrified, she smashed a glass vase standing on a clear dresser. She thought she could handle it, one was wrong, she cut herself badly, she had to suffer for the next days. She shuddered at the picture of the moment she was sitting in her room and the blood ran down from the wounds, sucking out of the tiny morning of glass splinters, barely restraining her retching as she stared at the scarlet shadow on her thighs.  
— I apologized for that — she said, breaking out of her trance. She rose sharply, strolling through the living room, bathed in the morning light.  
— You do not have to apologize for me - he reminded her — Understand, I do not want you to be hurt.  
She stopped in the middle of the rug, turning away in uncertainty to her older brother. Was it strange that all these panic attacks caused her anxiety and at the same time made her sure that she would manage? She went to extremes when these moments of anxiety followed. She understood Bennington's fears, but she could not get away from the thoughts that were stirring in her mind. Saying wrong accusations towards him, accusing him that he will finally give up and give up because he will have enough of her anxiety.  
— Sometimes it's hard for me — she sighed heavily, turning her eyes away.  
— Young I will never leave you, but you must trust me and not be afraid — His warm hands wrapped her arms around her, raised her head, meeting his affectionate gaze.  
— Good end to this drama — he said, evoking a sincere smile at the teenager.  
She loved the spontaneity he had in her, he could understand her, advise her just a moment ago, but at the most depressing moment, bring her happiness and sense of interest to her.  
— Something smells good to me — She crossed her arms over her chest, watching her look around, the source of sweetness that floated in the air.  
— Breakfast and cakes await you in the kitchen — she said, falling to the sofa.  
— Did you make them? — he was delighted.  
— Yes, because you did not give me peace — she muttered, grabbing the brown texture that she put on the table — I made you two of them. I hope you will be happy — she said, tearing the paper.  
— I love you young! — He called, disappearing behind the kitchen bar.  
— You make me coffee for it! — She shouted, opening the box.  
She rolled up the sleeves of her sweatshirt, cutting through the dark glue on the dark foil. She opened the lid, peeking deeper. Her fingertips touched with a cool glow. She strengthened her grip, taking out the thing she was holding. A violent cry ripped her throat as she squeezed the latest album of the group Rise Against, which was to have its exact premiere in a month. The album Appeal to Reason was another album of Tim's group, which she longed for. She did not listen to any of the promoting numbers of this album, and then listen to the whole album with more interest.  
— I have a bad feeling — said the singer, as if casually, unexpectedly standing behind a light couch, with a crunchy cereal cake in his hand.  
— Yes, I know you will listen to this with me — said the high school student, putting the plate aside to look again into the cardboard. She also found the newest poster there, which probably will find her place on one of the walls of her bedroom and a sealed envelope, as well as a photo of the band with their own signatures.  
— Did you remember that you ordered the album before selling? — She raised her head, meeting Bennington's dark eyes, who, with delight, had eaten up the prepared sweets.  
— I forgot about it — she said quietly, admitting what she did not pay attention to. Her memories returned from the day when she sat with the young man, buying these items, but she did not expect the parcel to arrive so quickly — Why did not you tell me about it? — muttered disgusted, completely unhappy joke on his part.  
— Because I thought it would be so funny — he said with a sneer, then he had to duck out from the pillow flying towards him — Young you would only beat me — he indignantly rejected the sofa on the sofa.  
— You have such a charm in me that I can not not do it — she gave him an ironic smile, she heard him quietly sighed, returning to the kitchen to brew both of them for them.  
She grabbed the sealed envelope, curious about the message inside. She cut the bright paper, and from the inside pulled out a folded note. She followed a short printed computer printout that included thanks to the purchase of the CD. She threw away the envelope, taking the latest album of Tim Mcilrath's group again, unsealing it from a transparent package. She turned the disc over to look carefully at the song titles. She smiled half-hearted, waiting for her to listen to the disc. She adjusted her blouse, which fell slightly from her shoulders, fixed her eyes on the music channel, resting her feet on the glass table. Humming the song played in the program, which presented the list of the most-liked singles of the last week, the next song almost caused her suffocating cough when she sipped the sheak herself in the morning when she saw the music video on top of the charts. She put the cup down, staring stupidly at the band's name. The dark font was created in the name of Dead by Surinse – Crawl Back In, and what more surprised her is the view of senior Bennington in the music clip.  
— Chester! — she broke up, sliding her legs to the floor.  
— What is going on? — he appeared at her side, just a few seconds later, watching her gaze he saw on the TV screen, the video he was working on last time. He completely forgot to raise this subject with her, he did not expect his single to see the light of day. Yes, he was aware that the clip was sent to various music stations, but he thought he would have to wait before he appeared on television.  
— Do not I know something? — She raised her gaze, shaking him with the look of her blue irises. He sighed quietly, leaped over the back of the couch, sitting on the soft couch.  
— Yes — he admitted, following her posture.  
He knew that he would demand explanations, but he would not tell her in a hurry when she started classes in half an hour.  
— What did not you tell me about? — she was going through the topic.  
— Julio, I will explain everything to you when you come back from school, it is a bit complicated, because this is my next trip — he explained, briefly looking at the music video displayed on the television screen.  
— You did not say anything about it — he breathed quietly, hearing that the teenager does not bear bitterness in itself, but the intentions that clearly turned into curiosity, which was the reason why her older brother did not tell her about this group, let alone suppress the truth about the upcoming concert tour.  
— Forgive me. I will explain everything to you, but only when you return from the lesson —he said firmly.  
— Okay, but you could have told me that you were singing in a different group.  
— I wanted to surprise you — he said with a slight amusement in his voice.  
— As you can see she succeeded!  
She took the last sip of her milky drink carefully watching the video in the music station. Humming quietly under the nose of the new single Chester's group, she returned to the kitchen where she found a singer, absorbing more portions of pancakes covered with maple syrup.  
— I see you've come to breakfast — she said, hiding the glass inside the dishwasher.  
He swallowed the last bite of sweet food before he could speak:  
— I need to take a moment when you enter the kitchen — he said, making a laugh at his younger sister.  
— Are you planning to go to the studio? — Asked the interested, taking a brown cardboard bag from one of the cabinets, pouring a few chocolate-grain delicacies into the bag.  
— Yes — he explained, closing her bright thermal mug, taking out another tiny package, putting on Chemer's favorite delicacies in the cool interior.  
She was glad that she baked some baked goods from two portions. Usually, when she hid in the interior of the kitchen and did so sweetly beloved by an older man, she did not do them much, because she did not pay for the food. Sitting today in the early hours of the morning, bored with the lack of attachment, she decided to go a little crazy. She was also aware of the team's announced visit. Since the beginning of high school, she has not had the opportunity to meet him and a bit homesick for their presence invited them to a joint evening, also Bennington had a matter for Mike, but did not ask for details. She took from him a mug filled with an aromatic caffeinated drink. She took a sip and the pleasant caramel flavor spread over her body. She grabbed her bag of biscuits and freshly cut fruit, and rushed to the entrance when she noticed the upcoming hour of the lesson. She could not be late, grabbed a bag lying comfortably on the couch, hiding her breakfast, putting a school backpack and a coffee pot on the floor, trying to find shoes that had suddenly disappeared.  
— Did not you see my red sneakers, brother? — she cried, searching the shelf with clothes.  
— You dug them out in front of the house — he replied with boredom, as if it did not matter. Sitting at the kitchen bar, he browsed the entries on the social networking site to kill time in anticipation of Michael's appearance.  
The teenager ran around trying to find lost shoes, found them at the end of the porch, leaning against the white patio railing. The moment when she returned to the bag, a smiling Shinoda appeared on the Vedanta steps, always dressed in an elegant black and white check shirt. He gave her a friendly smile, greeting her with a gentle kiss on the cheek.  
— Is Chester at home?  
— Of course, he's waiting for you in the kitchen — she explained hurriedly, putting her shoulder on the other shoulder, then taking a cup of aromatic coffee — I see you in the evening — she waved to him, she heard her wish for a good day in the school walls, grabbing her board for driving. She laid her on the paved sidewalk, moving down the street. She drove to the high school building when the clock showed a few minutes before eight. She grabbed the skateboard in her hands and rushed to her locker. Squeezing through the crowd of students hurrying for the first class, she reached into her safe-deposit box, where her new friends were waiting for her.  
— I thought you were asleep — the brunette said, leaning against the nearest lockers.  
— No, Selena — she said with amusement, hiding a colorful skateboard and a bloody red bag. She grabbed her workbooks with notes and textbooks with a bang, closing the metal door.  
— Can I get some? — She pointed to the vessel in her hand filled with stimulating substance. The new friend became a big fan of coffee, which Chester did when she mentioned the whole incident and laughed, claiming that he is an excellent barista without a degree. She only acknowledged this in one sentence.  
— I have a different way out? — She asked, handing her a thermal vessel. She took a healthy caffeine gulp, handing it to her.  
— I love this coffee — she said once more, making her friends laugh.  
She raised her head as a huge sound ripped to announce the beginning of the hare. They rushed to the first chemistry lessons, they were fortunate that the class was just a few meters away. They dropped into the full classroom taking their places when the black-haired teacher marched off to the lab with a proud step. The woman with the demoniac started to lecture the latest topic they were about to remake, Julia sat boredly next to Alex, looking blindly at the posture of the professor walking around the room.  
She never liked things strictly, she liked to sit in biology lessons, but subjects such as mathematics, physics and chemistry were a real torture for her. However, she tried to get good grades on all subjects. It was a priority for her to get to her dream university. Moments later, the chemist chose them in three-piece thick, ordering to perform the experiment given on the board. She was very lucky that her ground—floor part in the class project were new familiar ones:  
— Selena, no! — the blonde girl admonished the girl when she saw in the hand of her closest friend a bad tube, want to mix it with the right ingredient. She pulled a glass vessel out of her hand, sharpening it on the stand with the substance samples. Did you read the task carefully? She folded her hands on the white apron they were putting on for safety. Szatynka corrected slightly crooked glasses, looking at the conversation between two friends.  
— Yes — she said indignantly.  
— Clearly not exactly — she murmured gloomily — Did you want to blow up?  
— You bought it!  
— Girls! Julia raised her voice, wanting to call them to reason. She preferred not to get into unnecessary discussions, but to end this experiment without harming people — You will argue with the break. Let's finish this experience – she added in a threatening voice, reading Ms. Bones's recommendations.  
To her surprise, the girls listened to her advice and, as before, took care of the ceaseless occupation, but this time Adams was more careful to read double points on the board.  
She jerked her head up as she sat comfortably at a Spanish lesson, and a teacher with an Eastern accent came up to her, irritated by her lack of attention to the class, but the material changed, she was able to teach him alone when she could not afford a language school and she learned from books with a language course. She accepted with relief that the teacher decided to talk today about music that not only visited Spain, culture traditions and chants that came to this Latin land, but she sat and only listened to the conversation between students and the teacher, sometimes the Spaniard had to improve their wards when they said wrong words.  
— Julia, ¿crees que la música es un elemento importante en el mundo moderno? — the man stood before the bored teenager, surprising her with his question.  
— La música es siempre un elemento clave para la existencia de cada ser humano, puede parecer un comportamiento erróneo o meditación de esta manera, sin embargo, desde el comienzo de la historia, las personas han sido acompañadas por instrumentos musicales, creando música en un todo coherente. Es una forma en que podemos expresar nuestras emociones, reflejar lo que estamos pensando en este momento, muestra lo que está escondido dentro de nuestro corazón, profundamente oculto. También se convierte en una forma de relajarse después de un día duro — she said, and the man listened attentively — Siempre he pensado que obtener inspiración de los artistas que nos han llegado a amar es importante. Al menos esa es mi opinión — she continued, and then finished — ¡No quiero vivir sin música!  
— Perfectamente Julia! — he turned on his heel, continuing the lecture, letting the new student re-enter into his thoughts.  
She knew that she often sat in the Latin classroom and stared at the wall because she either knew the course material at a language school or she taught herself, but she did not want to change classes, she said, she did not want to start learning a new language from scratch. . It somewhat cooled off her enthusiasm after a failed attempt to learn Japanese, she stayed with her beloved foreign language.  
— Buenos días — she greeted her friends when she found them in the school canteen, eating a second breakfast, bought in a small shop. She reached for the early prepared sweet sweets.  
— I see that the Spanish lesson has succeeded — Aaron said, eating French fries with a lot of sauce.  
— It was boring — she said, grabbing the cereal cookie.  
— You could sign up for other classes if you know Spanish almost perfectly — murmured Nathan, who was looking around in the cafeteria, clearly seeking someone, but his efforts proved fruitful when he turned around again and looked at young Bennington.  
— Somehow I did not want to start everything from the beginning.  
— The girls are reading this rag again — sighed resigned brunet, looking at the cover of the tabloid, which was read by his girlfriend and her best friend.  
— Aaron, sweetheart be so nice and shut up — she chided him in Aleksander's cool voice.  
—It was chilly — the gray-haired girl laughed, noting the male part of their group.  
— You will not tell me you're reading such rubbish — he pointed to their friends' magazine.  
— No, they write really stupid there! Who believes it?  
— One normal — Nathan said, bringing his new friend to the amusement.  
— They're talking about Shinoda again — Selena said, finding one of the headlines on a colored newspaper.  
— What this time? — Julia asked in a slightly bored voice, somehow not caring about the next article about her friend.  
— They're still looking for the reason for his divorce with Smith — she explained calmly, setting the magazine down on a colored table and staring at her friends — Actually, when did they get divorced?  
— I have no idea — Aaron admitted, and his friends also had slightly stupid faces.  
— Two years ago — she said, 18—year—old, as if without interest, she looked up when she felt her colleagues' looks on. She glanced over their astonished faces, realizing the matter of their own stupidity. She had the impression that the brunette wanted to X-ray and find out how she knows about such details. She had to get out of this, not to show that she knew Linkin Park musicians better.  
— She wrote in one online article. Have not you read? — She wondered, trying to be credible.  
She was pleased when her friends did not ask her more questions after a long moment of looking at her. They came back to the topic, but she did not get into discussions about why this well-known rock band rapper decided to divorce his perfect partner. She knew too well the truth about Shinoda's unsuccessful and full of lies, if she was to be honest she did not envy Michael when the tabloid was still not bored about his relationship with Taylor. He badly abolished the lawsuit and after many months he managed to recover from these somewhat traumatic experiences he had moments of falls and the curiosity of the disgusting journalists did not help him, but reminded him of the time spent with a long-standing girlfriend.  
— Julia, what do you think about it? — She broke out of her thoughts when she heard the question from Selena's lips.  
— About what? — she asked surprised, frowning.  
She threw a magazine with an open article into it, as soon as she looked at the title, she threw him into the middle, no interest in the juicy topic written in what magazine from the smallest shelf.  
— Selena find a more interesting topic, and do not look for a cheap cheap rag where Mike Shinoda is divorced — she muttered, rising from the table, throwing the cookie bag into the nearest trash.  
— Is not this interesting to you? – she came to her, hurriedly grabbing her tablet where she drew the latest design of the dress.  
— Honestly? Not a bit — she squeezed between the tomb of students, going to the locker.  
— But ... — she wanted to continue the subject, fell silent under the hard stare of a new friend.  
— Selena I have more interesting topics than sitting and thinking about such trifles — she took out the necessary books for the next lesson, hiding them in a red bag.  
She closed the metal cabinet door, squeezing her favorite sketch book in the chest, filled with many drawings. She sat on a free bench leaning against a stone pole, tucked her legs up, arranging a bright notebook on her thighs. She opened the notebook on the page in a fraction of the scene that depicted stories she had created in the form of scenarios drawn on sheets of paper. The story that was arranged in her mind, she wanted to transfer to the drawing form. She did not think that at any time she would decide on the form of a comic where she was forced to paint the same characters in different aspects of the story, to follow the fate of their common path. All manga shots were a bit difficult for her, but she was having a great time creating them. During the last lesson with Mike, she showed him a piece of the comic he created, he said funny that he would never think that he would start to create an anima, because she claimed that her specialty is only portraits and paintings of still life. Encouraged by their first joint activities, she tried interesting motives that Shinoda himself did not work on at times.  
She closed the notebook when the bell rang for another lesson, dropped it inside the bag, grabbing the book that served as the textbook. She did not understand why they were supposed to wear it, since in the drawing classes they stood mostly at the easel and they traced every element placed on the table of the object, which was becoming tiring for her. She hated monotony. She did not like what to exaggerate, because she felt that she could afford something completely different, she could boldly paint something from the imagination. She bellowed a small greeting to the older teacher, who was pacing the class, spreading more canvas for work. She sat on one of the free chairs, leaning her backpack against the chairs, watching the students entering the room.


	20. TOM 1— REBEL : 19 — I GAINED FRENDS WHO I LOST

She sank onto the couch, dipping her cool cheeks into the fluff of creamy pillows. Warm material wrapped her tired eyelids, wanting to take her to the land without worries or problems. Where there is no concept of homework, a grumpy teacher who during each free moment reminded them of upcoming examinations, urging them to spend their free time over books and written notes, which became tiresome. Since the beginning of the year, only three weeks have passed, and she willingly wanted her to have an end-to-end test to check what knowledge she had acquired for three years of high school education. Intrusive students forming the proverbial elite of the school, with self-styled rulers of school benches. How pathetic it was. The division, which still lasted among secondary school students, was one of the factors that discouraged spending several hours in the walls of an educational institution. However, they did not allow themselves to belong to any of the groups created. She was beyond the law of school rules, and if someone wanted to classify her in a given place, she did not intend to keep quiet. She did not want to be like anyone, only to impress her peers, but she did not want to, look at someone destroying her good name. Despite the rivalry that prevailed in high school, no one will mention it loudly, because the voices will rise, that no one really fights with each other.  
She remained passive to the events that took place, just like in Phoenix she remained out of the way, being an observer who preferred to remain unnoticed. Though her friends asked her to be more at school. She was not eager for another quarrel between her and Angelica. She winced at the mere mention of the demon queen cheerleading who, desiring to humiliate her, hit the wrong moment. Maybe she would allow her to listen to her ridiculing her for completely irrelevant things, but not when she gained her self-confidence and thanks to many useful advice her tongue was sharpened, she was no longer a mouse who wants to hide in the hole when she is a victim of the school queen.  
Not now!  
She wrapped her arms around a nearby cloth pillow that served more for decorative purposes. She closed her eyelids, immersed in the endless world of dreams, when an insistent voice broke into her and came reluctantly, opened her closed eyelids, feeling the delightful wind that was blowing her tired cheeks. She murmured with frustration, eagerly wishing, return to the world from which she was brutally dug.  
— I had no idea that the school can finish it — the laughing voice of an elderly man aroused her from a blissful state.  
— Chester! — She growled, clenching her fists harder.  
He leaned back comfortably against the nearby table, imperturbable by the gaze of his younger sister, and in her gaze one could see thunder. A shade of blue, replaced by a hue of dark purple, a shimmering shadow like a storm in the high sea. He smiled indulgently, putting the decorated glass with the orange substance on the table, crossing his arms on his shoulders  
— High school is a survival camp.  
She stood up impulsively, falling on a soft down carpet. She turned her head, noting Shinoda smiling in the passage to the living room. Standing leaning against a dark door frame imitating the widened door, he stared at his dark irises in her figure. She murmured irritated, watching the two artists, not even trying to cheer her up.  
—Another against me — she moaned softly in pain, rising to her elbows — I'm going to my place — she said sadly.  
She grabbed the shoulder strap of her school backpack, threw it over her shoulders, heard her tapping on the covers of the notebooks, suppressed a yawn, glided slowly at the edge of the apartment. Dreaming of the soft mattress of the bed and the desire to sleep a few hours of learning, she dragged herself on the bright steps, in the distance hearing the merry laughs of the vocalists.  
She pushed the bedroom door, flung the backpack back into the swivel chair. The leather seat curled under the influence of sudden movement, almost dropping the connected laptop from the desk. She climbed into a double step, throwing herself in the warm sheets. She closed her eyes, and the voice of nature and the chirping of birds, mixed with the bustle of the metropolitan paths, became distant, she could not feel anything more than the satin cold and the arms of the king of dreams, taking her to her land.  
— My artist's wake up — she hoped that when she managed to pretend that she had not heard this friendly voice, she would be able to return to the world where she walked on the warm sand.  
Grains of golden sand tickled her feet, and the wind brushed the blue of her dress. A cascade of her dark hair, decorated with a white rose flower, fluttered under the influence of a sea breeze. She looked around at the sound of someone's footsteps. Driven by curiosity, she looked at the outlines of the figure, which boldly said that the man walking towards her was a familiar stature. She could not, but recall where she found him. She looked again at the rising sun over the surface of the rough ocean.  
A murmur of contentment left her lips, feeling the subtle touch of her hands that slowly closed on her waist. The man was hugging his cheek, decorated with the rays of a bright sun, which had assumed a somewhat more vivid color. He wrapped a frozen face in her collarbone, feeling the fragrance of delicate perfumes and the sea that he inhaled. She clenched her fingers on his hand, then she saw the shimmering pale blue stone that decorated the wedding band with silver, resting on her affectionate finger.  
— Turn around — a request came to her.  
Wanting to see who she was talking to, she slowly turned to him. When she was to see who she shared this beautiful dream, she was brutally reduced to reality.  
— Mike, you could, even though you were nice and do not wake me up — she shouted as she felt the musician's hand. He clenched his fingers on her shoulder with brutality, bringing her out of the dreams.  
— Young, I've been trying to wake you up for twenty minutes — he complained, rising from the bright bedding.  
She covered her face with a nearby pillow, suffocating in fluff, pulling on a bundle of verbal epithets. She pressed her lips into a narrow line, trying to control the fluttering emotions.  
— How much did I sleep? — she murmured.  
Michael sat comfortably in a dark leather chair, grabbing his friend's tablet lying nearby, reading the time displayed on the screen of the device.  
— Two hours — he explained, looking at the graphics displayed on the screen lock with a little joy.  
She freed herself from the soft bedding, looking around the bedroom, not even knowing what to look for. She turned to the rapper again when he spoke again:  
— Chester would like to talk to us and make you wake up — he explained, putting down the device with the logo of the bitten apple on the dark table.  
— He could not do it himself?  
— He said he did not want to get hit again and sent me out because he was sure you would not do anything to me — He gave her a slight smile, nodded his head in pity.  
— How could he be sure? — She noticed, going down the wooden steps.  
Brunet looked at her, and the expression of his inquiring irises made her laugh a little when she saw the flames of anxiety lurking in her. She laughed softly, going to the desk top. She opened the drawer, searching for something in her dark interior for a moment. She caught the maroon case, grabbed it in her hands, taking out the folder in which there were several sketches.  
— He did not have it — he replied, looking at the teenager's action — I guess he made sure that you would not hurt me even when you were having fun.   
— What a noble brother of mine — she laughed, searching through the files of the drawings, trying to find the painting she was to give to the young musician.  
She promised Mike in the last week of August that he would give him the abandoned drawing, but through the incursion of homework and meeting new friends, she could not find a moment to meet him, in private, giving him his property. She finally read the signature in the corner of the card with the synonym M_Shinoda. She took it out of the foil, handing it to her surprised friend.  
— Forgive me that I'm giving you this today, but I did not have any time to meet you — she explained, dropping the folder onto the mahogany table top.  
Shinoda looked at the drawing, as if to make sure he really belonged to him, he looked up when he met the lost drawing. He lifted his head, finding the calm tone of the sea depths of his friend's eyes.  
—I'm not angry — he assured — We better go down, because I'm afraid what your beloved brother will come up with.  
— I'll change into some shorter clothes and come.  
He gave her a slight nod of his head, and, standing up, quickly left her bedroom.  
She did not notice that she was lying on the table with a pack from the morning that left the loneliness in the living room. She found in a large number of undershirts a white top with a black heart print, grabbing dark denim shorts arranged on the edge, changed into a set of newly selected clothes, did not hurry to choose accessories or appropriate footwear, because it did not really matter, since she was not going anywhere . She removed the dark eraser from the braided early morning, where the strands of hair were free of a firm grip. The slightly wavy hair fell on her exposed shoulders. She glanced at her watch, hanging on one of the walls of the bedroom, noticing the hour drinking five o'clock in the afternoon. She hoped that they would quickly be able to talk about upcoming events, so that she could take on homework hated by all students. She jumped from two steps, jumping into a bag lying on a soft sofa that allowed herself to be a couch. The tiny balls contained in the center of the pouf adjusted to each position, which pleased with pleasure, sat in the evenings, watching your favorite series on the tablet screen. She found in the interior of the phone she was looking for, noticing a lot of new notifications. She unlocked the screen, hid it inside her pocket, ran down the last wooden steps, standing in a versatile living room. She looked around carefully, trying to find the missing vocalists of the band. With the intention of looking outside, she moved to the open terrace door, but at the same moment Chester and Michael passed through the glass wing, chattering as never before.  
She jumped over the back of the couch, collapsing in the soft down of mattresses and pillows.  
— Where's the band? — surprised by the absence of the remaining group of musicians, she turned directly to her brother.  
— Boys will not be.  
— Listen?  
— I wrote you a message – explained the vocalist — Did not you read it? — Asked slightly surprised, leaning backrest of a nearby chair.  
— No.  
— Something came out again and they canceled today's meeting. Only he — he nodded at the vocalist standing in the living room, who muttered something under his breath in a sign of indignation — He could come — he explained patiently, raising the prod so that he could burn his sister's eyes — All in all well — he directly addressed both of them — We need to talk about something.  
— Is it about your project? — Mike approached his siblings, and his questioning face told her that he knew much earlier about the frontman's band.  
— Yes.   
— My explanation belongs to me — She accused her brother, who only shrugged, answering.  
— What should I tell you?  
— Think — she murmured, tapping her finger on her beard — Maybe because of your side band you never mentioned to me — she reminded him of what caused him to burst out with joy.  
— I'm telling you right now — he leaned back in one of the armchairs, not worrying that his closest friend had long ago found a comfortable place and just waited for the development of further accidents.  
The time has come to reveal secrets so hidden from my sister. Maybe it was not so serious or had a huge impact on her life, but after talking to Bennington where he told him about teenage fears, he was worried about the upcoming trip. He understood his fear when he confided in him that he did not want to leave the teenager unattended. He believed that Julia would do well without him, but he was more disturbed by the attacks she had. They were so spontaneous that even she did not know when she would wake up, afraid of herself, and it frustrated him more that when he left her without his help, he would do something serious in the madness of panic, which he preferred to avoid.  
— Four years ago, together with several members of the band Julien—K, I started working on a solo album, which was not supposed to be signed with the Linkin Park signature — she focused on his words, somewhat recalling the article where the vocalist spoke about a project, but did not want to reveal Too much — I always would like to finish the recording. If not for personal problems, we started working on the Minutes to Midnight with the boys, I always missed the time for my work — he murmured with a slight regret — We sat in the studio and together with the boys finished the disc that we postponed so long — he continued his monologue, glad that neither Julia, nor even more Mike did not speak, let him keep talking — Ryan wanted to wait a year with the premiere, but I decided it was high time not to keep singles only in the music program and that it would come to light. We finished it at the end of August, the album listened only to a few trusted people.  
— Forgive me for that break — she raised her hand gently, and he only nodded, letting her speak lightly, and she turned to Shinoda, who was still silent — Have you listened to the album?  
— Yes — he replied, exchanging a knowing look with Bennington at the same time —He'll allow me to interrogate him before he mixed the song, but that should hardly be a problem.  
— I just wanted to be sure about my beliefs.  
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Chester, took something out of one of the drawers, and looked at him, meeting the box with the black and white cover he had handed her. She looked at the small details of the music album. The name printed on a bright background was arranged exactly in the same words that appeared on the music clip that she watched this morning.  
— It belongs to you — he said as he felt her piercing look at himself.  
— Do not wait for the premiere? — she asked.  
— You met one single, and so it was a matter of time when I give you a disc — he explained calmly.  
She put the CD down on the table, but it still felt like something was bothering him, but he did not want to touch it. She suspected what worried him so, she also felt the fear of his departure and had no idea how to behave in this situation. She was most afraid of those moments that hit her in the early morning. She did not want to be alone at the time, and she stubbornly clung to the thought that she would be able to manage without him by her side. The truth, however, was crueller and much worse, which she could not absorb.  
— Chester — Michael said quietly, interrupting a moment of tense and uncomfortable quiet that had hit the living room. It hung like dust above their heads to finally drop.  
— Julia — he caught her a startled look when her firm tone of voice struck her — I do not know what to say, because it is quite embarrassing for me and especially for you.  
— What do you mean?  
— I mentioned to you that I was leaving.  
— Yes, but what does that have to do with it? — Come on, she knew what fear was in her heart, she would not let it show. Frightened, she glanced stealthily toward the rapper, Chester caught her gaze full of uncertainty, and said, not wanting to keep her longer in the embarrassing moment.  
— Julia, Mike knows about your attacks, so you can talk about it — he saw her rising from the comfortable sofa, past her and put her hand on her shoulder, forcing her to settle back again on the soft pillows.  
— How could he find out about it. You promised me you would not tell them! — a dangerous flash brightened her bright irises, which took on a more intense color.  
— Look, I had no choice — he was saying calmly, but the excess of emotion kept making her dumb. She shuddered at the thought that someone but Chester knew what he was most afraid of. With great resistance, she looked at Michael's face, who sat at her side, wanted to speak, but she would not let him speak.  
— I trusted you. You promised that you would not tell anyone about it — she said, her voice drilled.  
— Please, let me explain it to Julia, then you will get mad — he could not stay silent anymore, he understood that he was scared, not wanting to reveal an important aspect to himself, which by the very thought, she looked with fear at her arm to make her again the attacks have not come back.  
— I remember your promises to you — he began quietly, taking her hand away — I had no other choice for Julio. At the end of September I am leaving on a two-month tour. I do not want you to be alone with these attacks, so I asked Michael for help. I place great trust in him and I only want you to feel good. If I can save you in this way, I will call you to break your word and tell him what is bothering you.  
— How are you going to do it? Chester, you know that I can not tell you when it will happen, I will not call Mike asking for help.  
— I know a little, that's why I hesitated for a long time before I told him about it — He sighed, loosening the grip on her wrist, rising heavily from the comfortable cushions, strolling uncertainly over the dark carpet spread out on the dance floor.  
She watched the restless man who wandered around the living room. She felt a frenzy that Bennington had mentioned to someone about their mutual mystery, but now that the emotions and anger that possessed her had subsided, she began to understand what two friends wanted to do. Nobody had ever bothered with her condition until she met these wonderful musicians who had not only hopes in their common way, but also did for her what no one previously dared to think about. They were important to her, they did not sell tiles with patches just to go away and let them continue to do their job. She will make her a friend who now has a problem that they solved together. Maybe she felt cheated by her older brother when she heard that he dared to tell her closest friend about her anxiety, but he knew well that she would not manage and needed Shinoda's support during this period. However, she met enough young rapper that she was not afraid that something unexpected would happen, which could hurt her. They knew each other for a relatively short time, but if she wanted to choose someone to stay with her, she took no hesitation in helping the brunette.  
She looked after the singer, who was walking, looking for a solution that seemed simple, and was not one of those situations at all.  
She again looked into the warm eyes of her closest friend, who only sent her a weak smile, returned the little tender gesture, turning back to her brother.  
— Chester, stop circling because I'm not doing well myself! — she scolded him, come, she was not funny, she heard the shadow of his joy that lurked on his lips.  
He stood in the middle of the room, crossing his arms.  
— He tries to protect you, and you admonish me — he grumbled sullenly.  
— You may not like this idea — Mike said when the siblings stopped their discussion, which was out of place.  
He hesitated, he mentioned this idea to Chester, when he talked to him a moment ago, it was quite an irrational idea, considering the fact that he knew Julia, whom he knew only three months, and it will be a huge step. However, did he have a choice? He did not know any of Bennington's anxiety and he did not know how seriously it looked. He could only imagine it, listening to the conversations of his friends, whose behavior indicated that it really affected the teenager's life.  
Is it really doing well?  
He had no choice but to tell them what was going on in his mind. He was afraid of their reaction, and the older man's behavior worried him when he learned about his intentions.  
He sighed quietly, then spoke:  
— I will move to Julia for these months, otherwise he could not help her during the sudden attacks — He pursed his lips, chewing his cheek gently. The sharp look of his team friend pierced him like a regent, but he stubbornly sat staring at the shocked face of a young girl. He lifted his head, catching his eyes, was not sure what was whirling in his mind, standing like a walled ground, analyzing every word he had.  
Did he have a choice?  
To conceal that he had ever dared to say the suggestion or wait as a conviction until a friend asked his sister to leave, she could not see what was going to happen here.  
Nothing like this happened. Chester's lips rose slightly upward, but he wanted to hide it under the mask of gravity. Trying hard to be resolute, he turned to an eighteen-year-old girl who did not move, staring dumbfounded at his face.  
— Julio, what do you think about this?  
She shook off her shock, raising her eyes to her older brother.  
— The choice is yours — she said, glancing back at Michael, seeing the lurid laughter in her corners as the bright blue light cleared her ocean.  
— Also, it's your choice young – crossed his hands on the torso, narrowing his eyes — Answer, but honestly! — he insisted.  
— Well — she sighed quietly before she said — I agree.  
They both glanced at the vocalist who still did not say what he thought about the sentence she had taken.  
— If the young think it is a good idea, I also do not see any objections — he freed them from the uncertain quiet — I trust you Mike!  
— I will not let you down, Chester — He walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
She sat in a maroon plastic chair over the open football stadium of the football team, watching the match between the hosts and the school team from South Carolina. She leaned her chin on her hands, looking like a quarterback of lions, losing the ball again and shouting the satisfaction of the opposing team's supporters when they scored another goal for their group. She was not a big sports fan, but she liked to watch the game played on American football. She thought it was much better than European football. However, everyone has different tastes and should not influence the opinion of others. Grabbing another portion of popcorn, sharing his portion with Alex and Selena, she muttered dissatisfied when their re-representation lost the ball.  
— They are Losinj — she heard a murmur of dissatisfaction in the noise, Evans's bitter words somewhat muffled by their joint desire to cheer.  
— It's impossible not to notice — Adams said, sipping a sip of frozen cola.  
— Alex, what's going on with Aaron always in good shape? — the blonde looked at the few friends sitting on the chair, shrugged, she did not understand herself, why the team of her beloved is taking back new starts.  
She bit her lips nervously, watched another pass taken by the Lewis team. The quarterback ran, gave another ball, but was again taken over by the opponent's opponent. She struck irritably at the nearby seat, not even bothering with the resentment of the student sitting on it. She gave a quick apology and returned her gaze to the school stadium. They were in the final position and a significant number of points. If they wanted to make up for the lost goals they would have to score goals by the end of the match. It did not seem to happen, but it would indeed happen.  
— They always played that way? — Julia became curious, looking at the neighbor sitting.  
— No — Selena mumbled, swallowing a healthy bite, unhealthy food — They were good, even great. In the previous semester, they got into the state finals. Something must have happened that they play today like the last patches — she said bitterly.  
She collapsed in a plastic chair, wondering why she could not talk her friends over to watch the match, giving up the walk with David. Bored with the continuous failure of the school team, she pulled out the phone, quickly typed a message to her friend.

Dave, next time, please stop me,  
Let me tell you, I do not want to leave with you.  
Julia

Losing?  
Dave

And it's horrible  
Julia

You could spend time with you in the city,  
And here I have to sit and wait until the end of the match  
Julia

We will choose next time young  
Dave

You should believe in them more  
Dave

I will not win this game so my skepticism is justified  
Julia

She read the last text message, hearing the gong ending the first half of the game between the hosts and the Charlotte team. Looking around, she saw her peers and students from younger years who were disappointed by their colleagues' failure, they got into discussions with their friends, she saw on their faces that they count on more than the first part showed.  
She sighed quietly, grabbing the shoulder of her school bag, slipping it over her shoulder, poking the elbow of a comfortably young Withe.  
— Alex, I'll go — she said to her friend, rising from the low seat, imperturbable by his surprised look, squeezed between several people when Selena stopped her.  
— Why are you leaving now? — she asked her a question.  
— I do not see any reason to stay here. I made an appointment with a friend — she said, hiding her cell in one of her pockets.  
— Okay — Her face softened a bit, and she could see the shadow of happiness on the olive skin, bowed in reply, and before she took another step, her call came up — She'll write to you how it ended!  
She ran quickly down the metal steps of the stadium, immersing herself in one of the exits. Paving bricks in a shade of gray led to one of the open wings. She stopped, delving into the depths of her school backpack, trying to find the dark headphones, without which he has not left the apartment in recent times. She caught a thin band at the bottom, a dark bag. She grabbed them between her fingertips, taking them out of the room. The bored song, as it reverberated in the mind, passed through the lush green of grass when she noticed one of the secondary high school gates nearby.  
She felt a sudden sense of how the ground ran from under her feet and her eyes went black. When she thought she would fall painfully on the uncomfortable ground, someone would fold her hands, wrap her in a secure embrace, protecting her from an accident. The headphones fell out of her ears, falling on the men's hands. She looked up, meeting the intense green, and had the impression that she had come across the expression of David's eyes, but it was ridiculously impossible. She wrenched herself nervously from his embrace, leaving as soon as she could from the dark-haired footballer who stared at her, as if he suddenly saw someone with whom he met after many years of silence. It was one of those that she could not stand when she felt a touch, someone else stunned her.  
— I'm sorry — he stuttered, as the shadow of fear ran through the face of an eighteen-year-old girl — I did not mean to scare you! — he began to translate.  
— Look how you go — she growled, adjusting her crumpled clothes, not even giving the boy a friendly look.  
— I told you that I'm sorry.  
She raised her head, meeting again with his bright shade of green. He was dressed in a red and white suit of the school team representation. She could not help noticing that she was holding a white cash register at hand. Almost pitch-black hair was almost perfect, now they were in disarray, and the lengthy ends fell freely on the right eyelid. She could not tell what construction was, because the upper part of the outfit made it impossible to see the boy's silhouette when the shirt was stuffed with protectors necessary for this game.  
— There was no case — she mumbled, correcting the bands that were now flowing from her neck.  
— Forgive me for having dropped by you, but I was in a hurry!  
— Do not be surprised if you want to win this match, it's better to run to the stadium — she said moodily.  
— Are you leaving? — he asked surprised when she wanted to leave the stadium.  
— Yes, I do not want to look at how you pass the next championship — she said, crossing her hands on the chest, giving him a rebuke.  
— Thanks for the motivations...  
— Julia.  
— Nice to meet you — he offered her, reluctantly — Will — he introduced himself with a charming smile.  
— You give me a cup of coffee for banging — she said as she left.  
— Okay, I'll give it to you during lunch — she laughed at his words.  
— I hold you by the word!  
Singing the last words of the song One Step Closer from the debit album of her friends passed through the living room sitting comfortably on soft cushions. She threw the phone back on the wooden table with still connected headphones, put her feet on the table, feeling the last sheaves of bright light on her skin that were falling through the huge windows of the living room. She closed her eyelids, enjoying the cool breeze of the wind in the air.  
— The match is over now?  
— No — she said casually — It was a failure, not a game.  
— I know that you are not a loyal viewer of sports games, but he did not want to cheer them on. Maybe in the second half to lose the first part — she sensed how the mattress beside her bends under someone's weight.  
She raised her hands, opening her eyes:  
— Believe me, Chester. If you saw how they play, you would also approach it as skeptically as I did — she muttered, angrily disgusted by her lack of attitude.  
She did not intend to hide that today's meeting on the pitch did not please her at all. She'd rather spend the afternoon with fooling around with Farrell, but she could get into a football game through her friends.  
— Young smile is just a match of the school representation and you have a face if something serious happened — he threw a small pillow towards her, which she captured neatly, and the corner of her mouth went dangerously up when he came up with a quite interesting idea to his mind. Chester saw her playful smile and a flash that enveloped her blue eyes, and he jumped up from the couch, safely climbing the stairs.  
— You convinced me yourself! — She shouted eagerly, overcoming the obstacles between her, but she was not so lucky when her leg was dangerously tangled in the carpet lying on the floor, but she managed to keep her balance and ran down the bright steps to make her scores with older Bennington.  
Sometimes she wondered how the vocalist would endure constant squabbles with her and compensate for the bills that ended up playing together. She did it many times, but each time he gave the same answer. It does not bother me, you can not be a serious and decent man forever; fun is also in human nature. She also suspected the fact that, despite their adult age, they wanted both in their hearts to make fun of the childish times and the period of youth that had been taken away from them.

~*~♥~*~

— You think it's a good idea? — She looked at Michael as she settled comfortably on the wooden panels of his painting studio.  
She took advantage of the fact that Shinoda was alone at home this morning, she came to him to spend time with him without the rest of the band. The last weeks she spent in the school walls did not allow her to regularly meet the company, but also the fact that she spent a lot of time with a group of her new acquaintances. Young Selena Adams was always able to convince her that she would go with them to the city despite her lack of will. Threats, which were guided by young designers, were entertaining her when she accused that she did not want to be with them because she prefers completely different people from her friends. Which sounded really funny and she did not once pay her attention to stop talking. However, she spent a large part of her time on household tasks, which each day grew more and more, and she could not get hold of the workbook.  
When Mike called her this morning asking him to come with him, she gladly gave up all schooling duties and ran over, ignoring his brother's taunts, he would not forget Chester's playful statement that he was running to him like a husband. Ignored his malicious attention, he loved to tease her about her intimacy with the young rapper. She was not at all indebted to him and did not intend to leave him satisfied.  
— I have never tried it and I doubt if I can succeed — she murmured, looking uncertainly at the brush in her hand.  
— I told you to try everything, you have no choice. If you get to the art studio it will be everyday to paint a picture about a given subject. I'm afraid I understand, but you must stop feeling anxious when you have to paint something bigger than a paper format that does not exceed the technical unit. Julio, not only because I help you in painting, but I want to show you that it's worth being creative not only when creating works, but also townspeople of techniques, but before you start you have to find out full of paintings on canvas — he explained, stroking Jay, who lay comfortable at his feet.  
The puppy was improving over the course of weeks without any complications after the accident, which took place only a month ago. Husky since the appearance in his life, the music broke the silence that prevailed in the four walls of the villa. Dead walls were not just colored walls where Michael could hide after a hard day. He was happy that the dog trusted him, becoming his close companion.  
— I still think that's not the best idea — she insisted, putting the brown fiber stick on one of the dirty newspapers.  
— Stubborn as Chester — he growled dryly when her laughter broke out — Do not laugh! — he chastised her.  
— I know it's our family's trait, but... — she did not finish when a quiet melody of the call signal went through the office. She reached for the smartphone reading the initials of the caller Selena Adams sighed heavily, feeling that another visit to Shinoda would be brutally interrupted.  
— Julia!  
— I'm listening to Sel? — she had the impression that in a moment she would find out what her new friend had come up with.  
— Dress up in comfortable clothes that you can get dirty and come to Santa Anita Avenue — she almost said it, she caught Mike's desperate look, she did not want to go anywhere, but she felt that she could not convince her to spend this time without her presence.  
– I'm busy.  
– Stop saying stupid and come!  
– Selena I do not know if a reasonable idea — she said, exchanging a glance with Shinoda — I am at a friend's place, I have not seen him for two weeks, can you go without me?  
— Julia, do not even think I'll let you go! — her almost vociferous voice endured — A festival like this one is once a year, so be nice, come to us, because we've been waiting for you for half an hour — before she could leave an 18—year—old defense line, she ended the call.  
— I have to go — she said, rising from the cool boards.  
– You do not get out? — he asked slightly disappointed.  
— You do not know Selena, sometimes it is much worse than my brother — she said, hiding in a white smartphone to dark material shorts.  
— We had a chance to talk for two weeks, but we probably do not have it for us — he said grimly, but on his lips there was a shadow of a smile.  
— I promise to turn off this damn phone next time — he laughed at her statement, escorting her to the door.  
— See you young, tell your friends that they are stealing you.  
With amusement, she said good-bye to the man, putting on her eyewear and walked to the tiny hill. She reached the door of Bennington's villa just minutes later.  
— Have you come back so fast? — hear Chester's surprised voice.  
— Unfortunately, I came for the car keys. Selena pulled me out for a festival, I do not even know what's going on.  
— Where is he? — the vocalist appeared in the hallway, looking at her questioningly.  
— Santa Anita Avenue — gave him the street name and he raised his eyebrows as if he remembered something.  
— An annual festival of colors. Even fun, I completely forgot when it is done — he murmured scratching his head thoughtfully — I would like to have a good time — he admitted.  
— I remind you that we can not show up in public together?  
— I know — he said — Okay, I'm gonna get Mike along the way, I think I'll go.  
— You make sensations!  
— I was with the guys the previous week and apart from a few people, nobody met us. Okay, drop it's like what I'll find you after the festival.  
Playing with the car keys she left the flat, getting into one of the cars. She entered the address in an electronic map and after a while she heard an irritating female voice order her to turn into the next street. After long minutes she reached the indicated address, she could hardly park. When she found a vacant seat, she dialed a message to her friend asking her where she was waiting for her. She did not have to wait long for her instructions, after small difficulties she reached the isolated friends, greeted them.  
— Selena, I'm gonna kick your ass!  
— Why? — astonished brunette, she moved away from Brandon's arms.  
— Because you're stealing my friend from me.  
— Tell this jealousy that he has you every day and I have you every now and then.  
— Rather the other way round — Alex said rightly, interrupting her conversation with Emily.  
Brunette got her attention in spite of her ears and urged them to move to the already full of gates waiting to seal the participants of the festival.  
Julia picked up a few colored pouches from a uniformed man, caught in the crowd of her relatives and ran to them. The smell of the festival hit them from the entrance. The streak of smoke rising from the hot-dog hearths or hamburgers reached the nostrils of everyone who passed the parked booths with unhealthy food. Barrels with beer were in many places, which turned out to be strategic for people who wanted to enjoy many percentages. However, she could not afford it, because she did not want to earn a ticket for driving under the influence of percentages and only now, when she had not taken her driving license long ago. Suddenly, she felt a vibrating phone, pulled out her smartphone with the logo of a bitten apple, seeing a new message on Chestera's photo on the backlit screen. She quickly read the short textbook of the e-mail:

I pulled Mike out in half an hour.  
If you feel like drinking beer, go ahead.  
We will meet at the end of the festival under the main stage I will lead.  
Chester

How are you going to get there?  
You do not have to sacrifice your brother so much.  
If you have declared yourself willingly.  
Julia

We'll come by subway if you have a car,  
I decided that it is not worth taking a second and you and Mike can easily have a drink.  
Chester

Well.  
I will have to get rid of the rest.  
See you later  
Julia

— Julia come — she felt unexpectedly feel someone grabbing her wrist and was dragged towards one of the platforms. Listening to rock hits from huge speakers distributed in different parts of the field, she was supposed to let people relax and let the music of the festival put them in a happy mood. She sat down at one of the tables with a group of friends, telling her suggestions to bring beer to Nathan, who along with Brandon, pledged that they would bring them a cold beer after a glass of beer.  
— How are you going to come back? — She asked, puzzled, when each of her friends had claimed that he would drink today.  
— Mom promised she would come for us — Alex explained, when the brunette gave her a pint of liquor — Did you get a transport?  
— I did not have to — she said with amusement — My friends are also here and I made an appointment with them at the end — she explained.  
— You are lucky.  
— I was thinking I would not be able to taste a bit of percentages, but since I have a choice, I have a choice — she laughed, costing a bit of cool alcohol. Although she did not like taking too many percent, sometimes there were times when she eagerly reached for a bottle of dry red wine, but she could count the fingers of her hand many times.  
Laughing at Nathan's joke, who told me how he and his sister made a joke to their uncles on one of the boring family meetings, she drunk the last gulp of a slightly warm percentage drink. When it was time to throw the bags with colors, they went to one of the main stages, expecting the leader to throw out color substances into the air.  
— Let's release the colors! — shouted the young boy standing on the platform.  
The colored powder fell in the air, which fell on the people standing in the crowd, making their clothes, and decorating them in shades of the rainbow.  
Julia could barely find her gaze on the distant side of Michael and Chester, who had been tossed with colorful paint, tormented, happy that they could have fun at the festival. Sometimes it was hard for them to stay away from the teenager, because they wanted to spend time with her also at the games organized by the city, but the fame, however, is a capricious friend who gives and receives. They did not want to lose their loved one when the public learns of its existence, they feared that perhaps it would not be able to cope with this pressure and might leave, the biggest fear that rattled Chester's heart.  
He did not want to lose her!  
He fell in love with Julie. His life took on colors when he decided to get to know his family's secrets and find a lost teenager. He regained his lost family happiness, and that was a priority for him.  
The constellations of the first stars brightened the purple night, and the moon enveloped tired people with its radiance. The cicadas sang in the thickets of grass, the grasshoppers tapped and added their sounds to the incense of nature. It was a beautiful view when they could sit in the privacy of the garden, enjoying the view.  
He got into discussions with Shinoda when the participants of the festival were going to go out. Exchangeing the last text messages with her sister, who ensured that she is coming back. They had no choice, because the teenager had the car keys with her, they had to wait for them to appear.  
— I am — she announced happily.  
They noticed her dirty with a colorful substance, the body and clothes took on the colors of the rainbow, which appears after a rather rainy day. Satisfied, she bent the multi-colored bracelets that made a soft light out of herself, she wore a wrist. The colors of red, blue, green, violet, pink and gold mixed with each other, a dozen shimmering decorations on the palm of your hand.  
— Do you want? — She waved to them a box of open particles.  
Despite the last hour before closing the fun, she managed to get the last box with more colorful bracelets. The gadget stands were almost sold out and she had the opportunity to get the last piece of these little decorations.  
— Happy — the rapper grew up, taking from the girl a few trinkets, which after a while they cast a thin shadow on his wrist.  
— Hold it — threw a box in his direction, taking out several colors, peeking inside where there were still a lot of these trinkets, turning to the girl — You will have them for the next festival — he gave her a box breaking the particles.  
— It was the last box, he wanted with less, but only one hundred pieces of these bracelets — she explained, hiding them in the bag — He always wanted to get them — she added with a slight smile.


	21. TOM 1— REBEL : 20 —  YOU THINK YOU WILL DESTROY ME, YOU'RE WRONG!

She rested her hand on the bright wood of the bench, listening to the English teacher who paced the classroom, flipping through the pile of papers he kept in the file, looked up, continuing his statement about the love of Romeo and Juliet. Although the teacher gave them time to read the book. She, however, read this novel at the end of summer holidays, so she could devote her attention to arrears in mathematics. The subject caused her not little trouble, and wanting to get good results at the final exams, she had to apply to exact sciences. As Dave joked, when one day he helped her with claims of sines and cosines she was good humanists, but her field calculations were less successful or a summary of how fast A to B would reach.  
She was surprised that a friend had so much angelic patience for her and tried to explain all the conditions, actions and calculations to her. Patience was not in her nature, if she sat long on homework, unable to save anything. She was irritated by inactivity, and the more she sat, unable to think of anything, she was grumpy until the end of the evening, even one trivial could lead her to anger.  
She belonged to those who were mastered, however, if it was mathematician or physics, her gentleness mask disappeared. She hated this quality, the longer she tried to fight it, the more her anger grew. She could not look at notebooks or books, it made her suddenly fury.  
One evening after another unsuccessful attempt to catch up with Chester's homework, who had had enough of the screams of an eighteen-year-old boy, he almost begged Farrell to help the high school student work on the material. He knew that the man was a good mathematician, so he was sure he would help him.  
— We will play the play in our school theater — she broke out of her reverie, carefully watching each step of the professor.  
He stood at the desk, putting down the black folder, flipped through the help materials he was arguing on, and took out a second purple pad with many pages.  
— He assigns everyone a role that he will have to learn — he said, sitting down comfortably in a dark chair, his gaze resting on the list of students he had chosen to play for — Selena, you will be Capulet — he said.  
The teacher shared the roles of other pupils, skipping the main character's performers, had the impression that he was doing it especially to extend the waiting time, and what made her even more curious was the fact that her friends knew what to play and she was still unaware of the text who was supposed to learn. She sighed bored when almost the last but one figure landed in April's hands — a class star.  
— Julia's role, she will receive the irony of fate Julia — she looked up at her name, looked at the teacher in amazement.  
— Are you serious? – she picked up her copy of the novel in the form of a theater script, he only nodded slightly, with a slight smile on his face.  
— You're good at this role — said the professor.  
— She's supposed to play Julie — A mocking laughter spread around the classroom — It will be a complete Flap — She clenched her fists in the palm of her hand, looking toward the queen of their class. She felt her nails sticking to her skin, her knuckles white with anger as she caught the blonde's face. She caught her nose, like a Parisian model, from under the bull looking at her biggest rival.  
— Nobody asked you about April's sentencje — she said, through her clenched teeth. — He's much better for this role than you. We do not need artificial noise and flutter with eyelashes to the audience or spinning with artificial buttocks - there was a buzz of laughter in the class. A shadow of amusement even appeared on Mr. Smith's lips, but he grunted to suppress the murmur of joy.  
The blonde's face became brighter as the words of her new classmate reached her, no one objected to her, they obeyed her. She gripped the power in this class and to some extent at school, but at the time when young Bennington appeared, her perfect life lay in ruins like a house of cards. She tried every way to make her pain and humiliate in front of the whole school, but she seemed to be immune, not enough, her plans turned against her, making her a few times the laughing stock of her class. The irony is that the most popular girl in school is discriminated against without an eighteen-year-old girl who came to them only a few weeks ago. She wanted the ruler, like everyone else, she was one of the school's elite, and now she was slowly losing all her respect by the teenager, who only did what she did, defended her attacks, sometimes making her friends joke her small jokes. She had to change it, she could not lose her privileges. The only thing she had long remembered was when, together with her friends, if she could call them that, they sat in the school toilet as usual, correcting the makeup until Bennington stood on the doorstep. It began with ridicule and insults in her direction and small blackmail that she would never appear here, because it was "their toilet", what was her surprise when she did not do anything about it, and when her "friends" were to throw her away she pushed them away without any problems. In anger, she grabbed her the best bag she had and threw it into the trash with the funny statement "Class time diva disappeared" when she said that her dear friends ran into the room, when they saw her trying to save her precious things, laughed at each other by tapping the turtles. She had to recover, because this face, because even Selena, who despite her popularity was her victim, and then amused by her new acquaintance, looked at her defeat.  
— You have no right to speak to me like that – She broke away from the depths of her mind, shoved her chair away from her, pointing to her with her tip — You know who my father is.  
— I honestly do not care — he replied, shrugging — You are very funny when you get angry — she added with a sneer, and the class could no longer stop the explosion of joy, and the room was filled with collective laughter.  
— You! You come to our school...  
— I take you the position of the queen — she murmured theatrically, pretending to yawn, she has heard this sentence from her mouth more than once and how her friends say in a scoffing way — I do not intend to take anything away — she looked at her — I do not intend to sit quietly, seeing how you treat others and me by the way. Maybe in the previous high school, I would let you do it, but not here. You will not treat me like garbage, because you consider yourself to be a great lady of the school, and you are really on par with us. You do not stand out anything. Pity the title of cheerleading capitent does not give you any special privileges. I am begging you is it army or school? The unconscious rivalry between students is like going to a soldier.  
— It's all right, Julia — the counselor admonished her, let the lurid laughter of his eyes glance at her, she was nice to see. Finally, she is not penalized for having opposed the populars.  
— Thank you, Professor — She bowed to the rest of the class and dropped into her chair.  
If he could see her now, she would make her pride, from a taciturn girl, she would be able to take over the teenagers who pulled out their claws when someone spit in her face. She did not intend to look at the woman, how someone spits her good name, in total, it gave her a small satisfaction when she could bake her rival, knowing that he has on his side his classmates. They had had enough of her to rule, and they wanted it to end, but no one had the courage to do it, Julia, when April insidiously put her foot on her, taking her for her next victim, did not allow herself to do it, on the contrary, in spite she poured on by accident, a can of Coca-Cola for her gymnast's uniform. She did not regret anything. Only because she defended herself against the attacks of the apoplectic girl, she gained more and more publicity, which irritated her very much, because she preferred to stay in the shade.  
The resounding bell for a break chased all students from the English language class. The eighteen-year-old painstakingly pushed her books and notebooks into the bag with the Linkin Park print and ran out of the classroom. He was standing by the door, her personal bodyguard already, as Will's playful way.  
— I see that the action to destroy April continues — he laughed when they walked the school corridors.  
From the moment they met on the pitch, their relationships became warmer. They got to know each other more and more and to Julia's surprise, the boy did not turn out to be an inflated footballer, he was a nice and caring companion. The ball did not interest him, but he did it to satisfy his father's needs with unfulfilled ambitions. Sometimes she wondered why children, do their parents' plans, which something has not been done and they direct their children about it, if they are not interested in it.  
She enjoyed the fact that she did what she loved and no one opposed it, on the contrary the brother supported her in every respect. The support he gave her was incredibly edifying, that she could finally develop and derive great joy from drawing or learning Spanish, which she did not neglect, but left the language school when the teachers said they had nothing to teach her, and over the pronunciation can work at home. Classes with Mike recently went into the background because she and the man were busy with their affairs, but he promised her that during the departure Chester would make up for a lot of material that she wanted to meet. She wanted to sign up for a painting studio, and she would take these lessons with Shinoda. However, he believed that the better he would learn more techniques, he would be better acquainted with the lectures.  
— I do not destroy her at all — she replied, shrugging her shoulders.  
She opened her locker, dropping in the textbooks that were unnecessary for her in the next class.  
— Your class thinks differently, until you cheer for you to beat her.  
She looked at him, not fully understanding his words. She pulled a book from biology, turned it on inside her school backpack, took out the drink she'd bought earlier, opened it with one flick.  
— You mean it — she murmured, slamming the metal door with a Bang — You know what makes me happier than making me happy. I do not want it. Only what I do is defend against April, but as I could have been blind before, each medal has two sides. It has consequences that I honestly do not want, "she explained, sitting down on the floor in front of the room with the next class. She took a sip of a bit of warm cola and looked up at Wilson. — You know, if you met me in another high school, you would wonder where this pugnacious Julia is sharing. I was a completely different person now that I am now.  
— I can not believe it — he replied, squatting on the spot next to her — It's not possible that you were — he thought it was not a funny joke on her part, but the longer he looked at her, it reached him that the teenager does not cheat him.  
She even had to say that she had changed. All the events of her life had a huge impact on her, not only psychic, but partly physical. The burden of mind through problems now could rest, forget about her own demons or nightmares that she was afraid of facing, now she felt psychological comfort. She could have a deep breath and not choke on her health. Previously she was an omega, she ate a little, for a time practically nothing at all, and now she liked to take something, but she did not do it too much, even if she did, she was not worried about how she was ever so happy that she had a good metabolism.

~*~♥~*~

— Young, where are you? — she sighed resignedly, when once again the charming afternoon was interrupted.  
She sat in the depths of the cucumber, hidden in the shadow of many trees that did not let through the harsh sunlight, only single sheaves of light reflected on the juicy green of the grass. She was lying on a hammock attached to two trees with a cup of cold lemonade and cereal cookies and a tablet, on which she was flying the next episode of Sabrina – Teenage Witch, which she absorbed recently. She put the books down for the sitcom combined with the science fiction. She stopped the episode, she was already in the second season of this series, but of course her brother had to break her moments of rest after school reality. She wanted to take advantage of the lack of homework and catching up on Sabrina's next adventures.  
— Here I am — she cried.  
The man appeared literally moments later, wearing black shorts and a bright T-shirt. He looked at her questioningly as she scanned him with the look of her bright irises.  
— Can you explain why you interrupt me on such a lovely day. I will not end up watching this show because of you — she moaned in frustration.  
The musician laughed at her words, only then did he see a device with a fired movie in the girl's hand.  
— Do not get lifted up, I'm going to the store, I thought you would go with me.  
— There is no option, I'm in the middle of the season — she waved a bright IPad.  
Unexpectedly, she remembered something, rummaged in the pocket of her fabric shorts, taking out a piece of paper from it. She had stored the ingredients for the cake she wanted to do, she did not take the opportunity that her brother went to the market. She was supposed to go for it herself, but the show so devoured her that she could not get away.  
— You can buy these ingredients — she handed him a scrap of paper.  
He took the list of products from her and traced it with his eyes:  
— Honey, flour, oil. Spice for gingerbread — he looked up at the girl – Are you okay?  
— It's great why you ask.  
— Holidays are in three months!  
— I know Chazz, but I do not make gingerbread and I want to try again — she explained, sipping lemonade.  
– Well, something else?  
— Vanilla ice cream — she said without thinking — Can you tell me where the last box was washed away? I wanted to do shaeka, but I did not find them.  
— You had other flavors — he began to defend himself.  
— You know very well that I love vanilla delicacies.  
— I took them — he finally admitted after a long wait.  
She nodded in understanding, waved Chester away when he said goodbye to her, returning again to his serial marathon.

— I'm going to look at me for a long time or will you tell me what's going on? — He looked up, putting down his pen, adjusted his glasses, which slipped from his nose, giving the teenager a questioning look.  
— Something must have happened — she murmured, in a slightly angry voice, crossing her arms over her chest — I can not sit and watch what you are doing?  
— I know you well — he sighed, removing the glasses in a square frame, putting them on a tiny shelf with many small items on it — For a few minutes you are sitting in silence, staring at me as if you want to hurt someone. You keep silent every time you do not feel like talking, because you do not have the best mood, so tell me, you are so upset — he added in a firm voice, leaning against the desk, carefully watching the impatient teenager.  
— Nothing — insisted the high school student.  
— I think I understand what you mean — He felt her clean blue gaze on himself, he did not take a fierce look on her face and continued — You think I'm old enough that I do not understand teenagers' problems.  
— I did not say that — She was outraged, ready to speak, but Chester held her hand.  
— Julia, I was your age, I know what a new school means and change the environment. It is not easy to acclimatize and even though you acquire a group of friends, you feel alienated, because their years of knowing allow you to communicate well, you are new and you try to fit into their group. In extreme cases, they dissolve an unfavorable gossip about you after school, and you do not know how to destroy it, to stop thinking about you in the way you heard the lies dissolved after school. Explain to me, in which case your problem lies — she looked at him in amazement, with words that fell from his mouth. She never considered Bennington, for whom she could not trust, but she did not need to worry about the problems of eighteen-year-olds unnecessarily. His apt, suggestive realization that there is nothing to be afraid of and her school troubles do not always have to be kept secret, but the previous years of secretiveness confirmed her belief that gossip in school corridors should not be moved home, let alone talk about them with loved ones.  
— It does not matter — she murmured, avoiding his warm look.  
— Julia Bennington, do not lie to me with your eyes!  
— I would not dare conceal the truth from you — she replied firmly, trying to avoid an embarrassing situation.  
— You're doing it right now — he said rightly.  
— I can not avoid this conversation — she looked at him with a slight hope in her eyes, but his gesture, which he gave her, testified about her deep stubbornness and she was aware that he would not avoid talking to him and reveal what is so tormenting her.  
— The solution is not tiring, what's going on with your heart. I can understand that the people are hidden and locked in themselves, but they also need to talk — he sat on a black leather couch, looking at the teenager who walked slowly through the office — So what happened? — he started again when Julia sat at his side with a quiet sigh.  
— One girl has spread a gossip at school about my alleged relationship with her ex—boyfriend, now everyone thinks I've broken up their relationship.  
— Say one thing if the girl belongs to a fat woman who thinks she is a populars? She looked up at him, surprised by his apt question.  
— Yes — she murmured in response, reminding herself of the naughty conversation with the tall blonde — I talked with her to stop solving these lies after school, but you know girls, they are envious when it comes to ex-guys — She started conversation, pacing the room.  
— Do you meet with this boy?  
— You know that it is not! — raised her voice, stopping and looking at the young man — Not in my head romances now — she added hastily — Besides, William is not my type of a guy — she finished almost in a whisper.  
— You prefer guys like Mike — he laughed, feeling her sharp look at himself.  
— What do you mean? — she stopped, giving him a curious look.  
— Really Julia? Question and simple answer — he got up from a comfortable piece of furniture, approaching her — You do not think unless Michael is handsome!  
— He never said it, but I do not have any relations with him on the borderline boyfriend.  
— Sometimes your behavior doubts these words — he replied in a neutral tone.  
— It means?  
— Do I have to explain it to you?  
— I'm not sure what you mean — she said, crossing her arms over her chest.  
— You consider Mike a friend — he saw her nod and let him keep talking — However, watching your relationship, I noticed that you are very close. I do not count how many times when we watched a movie together with the guys, you cling to it. There is no day you meet or talk on the phone. You let him get closer to you like nobody else. I see that you have moments when you run away from touch.  
— I never said I did not trust you – he interrupted his statement, somewhat indignant with his words of doubt about her.  
— Let me finish. I did not know you before, but I see how you opened up, you are afraid at times, but it's normal, but in the presence of Michael, you forget about honey years and you want to tell me that you do not have a deeper feeling for him — he remarked, watching her face dumbfounded.  
— Yes, he treats Mike as a close friend, but what does he have to do — she said after a long moment of silence — does not want to be associated with anyone permanently!  
— You do not mean to say that you do not plan to love someone in the future? —astonished by her words, he looked at her closely.  
— I do not know — she muttered gloomily — I honestly doubt this whole sense of romantic nonsense — She fell to the nearby chair and wearily looked up at the tall windows, the rays of the bright sun crept into the office, illuminating them with their brightness.  
— Julia, whom I know, would not say yes.  
— This girl does not believe in love — she said sourly. She could feel Chester's look on her face, she guessed she made him doubtful, but what could she say if she did not believe in the whole idea of romantic ecstasy and first love.  
— I did not think I would hear anything like that from you — he said, almost stunned by the long minutes of uncomfortable silence.  
— You have not met me yet — she replied quietly.  
— You really think that love is so terrible, there are falls and unfulfilled excitements, but does it make sense to stop believing?  
— Chester would not consider it if my two previous relationships ended after a few months of acquaintance.  
— But ...  
— Listen to me carefully, I was only fifteen when I first fell in love. The boy in whom I fell in love reciprocated my feelings, but he changed our relationship into tyranny. I broke up with him! He did not give up. He destroyed my next boy, and I promised myself that I would never fall in love! I do not want to, go through the same second time and even if you think I could fall in love one day, you can immediately strike off your future brother—in—law — her cool voice cut him through. He could not stop her when she hurried from the office in a hurry, and after a minute he broke out of dementia and ran after her. He found her in the bedroom, sat on the windowsill, putting one of the pillows to his chest.  
— I did not want you to think about it that way — he said in a low voice — It does not blame you — she said, not daring to look him in the eye — I do not want to feel guilty again, I'm going to hurt someone just because I'm in love. I'm afraid of hurting my future guy, because someone wants to destroy him just because I let him deal with him, and this son of a bitch will do anything to make me feel happy with the partner I love — she said with a broken voice.  
— That is why you refuse to do so — he added in a low voice, sitting down in front of her, wanting to catch her eyes, did not allow himself eye contact.  
— Yes.  
— Julio, I know you're strong and you can handle it.  
— No, I do not want love in my life!  
— What will you do if you give some of your heart to someone. You can not break your heart just because this guy can not accept the fact that you left him.  
— I will never fall in love again! — she replied coolly, giving him his gaze from a short moment.  
— That's not right, Julio.  
— Chester, forgive me, I know what I'm doing — she saw his piercing gaze, but she did not mind him.  
— Little girl, I understand your doubts, but denying your own feelings, you will go the wrong way — He wanted to bring her back on the right path, he knew it would not be easy. Convinced for her reasons for so many years, she was adamant in her attitudes.  
— I have not once walked a bad path, when I go another, I will not feel once again the falling heart under my feet — she muttered sadly, come, she was aware of the words she says and how long she fought to support one of human feelings, she felt her bursting chest pain, as she said next words. However, the fact that the vocalist did not notice her unstable emotions, she was pleased by the good mask she took - Do not take up the theme again — she said menacingly.  
— Are you convinced? — she asked with doubts with a slight sigh, raising her gaze on her brown irises.  
— Yes! She said firmly, putting the pill aside.  
— It's your opinion, but you will remember my words. The denial of love hurts her lower down — he rose from the window sill, without taking his eyes off her — As for gossip, I am sure you will deal with them. You are a strong, intelligent and independent girl. I am convinced that you will come up with a biting remark about what these lies are and you will come out of this whole situation with your face, and that girl will be compromised — he finished his thought.  
— Do you really think so?  
— You are my sister, I know you and I know that you can handle this cane. No one in our family allows himself to fall. You will not let your good name be destroyed and you will certainly do something to make all of this known.


	22. TOM 1— REBEL : 21 —  FREEDOM, GIVE ME WINGS

— I will not play with him! — She cried, annoyed, and her call echoed in the wood—covered theater hall.  
She squeezed her hands on the copy of her script of Shakespeare's play, bright sheets of paper frayed in the girl's strong grip. The desire to throw out the documents through the window and thus get rid of the boy who was assigned to the role of Romeo was almost as huge as smashing out his white teeth, which he gave to her in a smile full of satisfaction.  
She wondered why she had such a partner. The boy was considered a podrywacza in the school's elite, he met the girls only to after a night of sensations and impressions abandon her for another amateur his cheesy jokes and unsuccessful flirtations. What did her school friends see in him? What could he charm them with? How to get their naive hearts? She was still thinking about it. How can you catch such weak jokes in its performance. Was this the reason that the boy was considered one of the most handsome teenagers in this high school? As he defined himself, who could resist, muscular eighteen-year-old girl, with huge biceps, blond hair, which, despite being put together every morning, lives her own life. The look of his emerald green irises aroused in his partner's hearts, the constant sighs and the claim of how charming he is. Pathetic, more depressing was the fact that although the girl will be used and abandoned, she blindly loves him with something that is supposed to remind love, in fact it is a bitter infatuation with a nonexistent ideal.  
She did not succumb to his charm, she was not like her peers, which fly for a few nice words and he managed to achieve the goal. Her and Adrien's relationship could be compared to the ongoing war for territory. The blond at all costs wanted to win the heart of the young Bennington, but she was not available to sneak into her heart for even one night. He tried every way to draw his attention to the young artist, who every day wanted to beat him in some dark street and show him that he would not come into her life.  
— Julia, what's up? — Sighed the resigned educator, rising from one of the dark chairs in the audience.  
The teenager glared at her colleague, when he winked at her with his bright irises, turned to the man standing in front of the stage with a pile of sheets and the obvious tiredness on his face. They had been working on the kiss scene for two hours and knew that it was only a symbolic tenderness that the students would have to make in order to get the stage form in a proper play, but the students he chose for the role of two lovers of romantic lovers did not make things easier for him. especially a young girl who was already really pissed off with her friend's constant, ambiguous lyrics. She could not concentrate on her role and completely stripped off the rhythm of all the final grade students taking part in the performance.  
Julia has not been troubled so far, she has read reviews from her previous high school about her explosive temperament and memories that she can get her skin, if she does not like something, but he has not felt that way since he started to teach her. Nobody, however, met a new girl and had an unimpressed impression that they would get to know the real face of this teenager. The first meeting and the moment of getting to know each other can be misleading.  
— Professor, you chose an inappropriate candidate for the role of Romeo. Adrien does everything to show off his friends, that he has passed me on — almost spit the last word out of his mouth when he heard a small laugh behind her. She grabbed a pre-recorded card lying on the table with some notes. She missed her and then hit the boy in the frame — Do not think I did not hear that! — she growled.  
— Julio do not have time — the teacher tried to persuade a high school student to give Irconig a chance and to keep playing — The show is in two weeks! Check your disputes and take on your characters — insisted the English professor.  
Adrien, stepped closer to the stage, crouching at the edge.  
— Very willingly, Professor, I am curious how she kisses — he said happily, causing the woman to moan irritation.  
She ignored the blonde's attention, jumped off the stage deftly. She went to the left in the corner of the school bag and threw her over her shoulder. Quickly she came to the wooden decorated door, as the only one in this institution had something decorative in it, than brightly painted wings for the remaining classes.  
— Julia, where are you? The attempt did not jump! — The teacher called after her.  
— I'm leaving. Let me find another actress in my place — she threw away a copy of art, and the pages fell apart in a few pieces, fluttering the school theater stairs up to the black carpet.  
She closed the door behind her with a bang, sighing slightly, feeling relieved, the absence of her friend, with whom she could no longer withstand the locked in one room. She pulled out the white smartphone from the inside pocket of her jacket, ran her finger over the screen to unlock it, and her well-known photograph appeared to her eyes, she looked at her watch, which indicated a few minutes past seven. She leaned over the bag, searching in the depths of her favorite headphones, when she felt the familiar cables around her thin fingers, pulled her hand, revealing the items she sought. She included a list of her favorite songs, traced her finger with interesting songs, which were more and more in the music folder she collected. She found an interesting song, put on headphones, let go of the start and in her mind Highway Saints - One More Time, listening to the voice of the vocalist, threw the backpack on the other arm, going towards the exit. She regretted that she never took a skateboard with her because she was convinced that he would return an hour later by another bus.  
She completely forgot to tell Chester that he was coming back sooner. She took out the phone again, unlocking it. She found applications with group chats and found her private message with the musician. Recently, she rarely saw him at home. She spent time rehearsing in the theater. Elder Bennington was preparing for an impending tour in America. They could only see each other on Sundays, unless the vocalist was asked to appear in the recording studio to work on appearances for upcoming concerts.  
Listened to the sounds of the song, plunged in her own world of meditation, she crossed the street, standing in front of the house. She dug the key to the apartment from her purse to turn the lock in the door. She entered a cool room, feeling a breeze on her cheeks, smiled slightly, dropping a bunch of keys on the dresser. She dropped Ramones from her shoulders carelessly, hanging her on the handle, and almost kicked off her favorite black conversions from her feet.  
She went through the corridor, entering the bathed in the late midday sun, and tiredly fell on the couch, hugging her cheek with one pillow she had left in the morning. Happiness, however, did not last long when the melody came from the outer pocket of the cell. She muttered heavily, rising on her shoulders from a light piece of furniture. She pulled her backpack to her and dug up the still ringing device.  
She looked at the screen where her friend's photo was displayed. She reluctantly moved the green receiver, putting the earpiece to her ear.  
— Listen?  
— Julia? — Mike's voice took her for light satisfaction.  
— Not Santa — she said sarcastically, mocking her grandfather's laughter — Of course it's me, Mike.  
— Very funny Julia.  
She could hear his murmurs of discontent. She got up from the sofa, pretending to the kitchen to prepare something for food. She opened the fridge, taking out milk and a few eggs. She wanted something sweet today, and the taste for waffles followed her for a few days. She switched to hands-free mode, leaving the phone on the kitchen counter.  
— You do not sin with sarcasm — she heard his pleasant voice.  
She took a bowl of cake from the cupboard, laughed inwardly at his attention.  
— What did you want? — she asked, pouring the measured amount of milk into a transparent container.  
— You know what I thought you would be nicer — he snapped offended.  
She sighed quietly, well, artists. She threw the flour to her dissatisfaction, part of the measured portion sprinkled the annex, falling on the bright floor. She swore softly, taking a cloth to her hand to remove the white powder.  
– Okay, you have time in the evening? – she did not answer his earlier question when he heard how he was angry over the scattered flours.  
— I was supposed to work on drawings today and choose which wedding dress — she walked away a few steps to take out the mixer and waffle irons from the cabinet. By plugging both devices into the socket, she grabbed the phone in her hands to place it on the stand that her brother had left her from her cell phone so that the equipment would not get dirty.  
— You do not know what you're going to do? — he was surprised.  
The wedding took place at the end of this week, and on Sunday Chester went on tour, so Shinoda was supposed to move to her. However, the last days spent on art meant that she completely forgot that she did not choose any creation for this event.  
— I thought you would go to the cinema with me — he sighed heavily — I got two tickets and I have no one to go with. I thought I would get you out because you like these kinds of movies.  
— Excuse me, Mike, but even if I could not, she threw the last ingredient into the dough. She grabbed the blender into her hand and took the phone from the handle with her other hand, switched it back to put the phone to her ear — If you want I can make you wonder why I do not have to put on Saturday — the protester raped violently, laughed quietly when he said he preferred to spend time on the recordings he had been working on over the last weeks.  
She said goodbye to him, including the device, to mix the cake into golden pies. Bored with a quiet melody, she put down the dirty sticks into the dishwasher, drying her hands with excess water. She left it to look for her tablet, which should be in the living room. She did not even notice it on the fireplace or table. Resigned, she climbed the bright stairs, hoping that she'd left him in the bedroom.  
She tossed her school backpack into a swivel chair, which had been turned away by such a violent movement, did not pay any attention to it, noticing the loss on a bedded bed. She grabbed him by going into one of the applications to create a music clip. She left him on the windowsill in the kitchen, pouring portions of golden pancakes into the waffle iron. She leaned against the counter, listening to the song, wondering where she had gone, Anika who always greeted her as soon as she appeared at home. For a long time she did not have to dwell on it when the animal ran down the steps of the apartment, barking with joy and wagging its tail. She jumped on her, and if it was not for the security in the form of a kitchenette she fell to the floor.  
– Hi, did you miss me? – she asked, scratching the bitch behind her ear, which she loved.  
Taking out the last portion of golden, she put on a few previously cut fruit. She grabbed a plate of waffles and a glass of orange juice, went to the living room where she put everything on a low table. She looked around for a remote who could not see TV, you will not see anywhere. She found him under one of the pillows. She turned on the channel with the latest news, grabbing the first cake, grating it with a slight satisfaction that she had not burned it. The last time she did it at all, they did not succeed, all of them were thrown into the basket when the smell of burning burnt in the kitchen.  
She did not listen to politics, for which she did not like and sympathized with her, after subsequent scandals that went out in the Sejm, they switched to information that interested her. Another hurricane was approaching the shores of California. She did not like these anomalies, she was always afraid of them. Anxiety evoked strong eternal currents connected with violent rain. Perhaps she was not scared of storms, she even loved to look at the lightning glowing on the horizon, during the tornadoes she could not tolerate them. According to metrologists, Hurricane Kalin was to arrive on the beach next week, as always warning about the possibility of a lack of electricity or shortages in the supply of other utilities.  
She felt fear at the thought.  
She sighed quietly, swallowing the last bite of the waffle, leaving dirty dishes in the dishwasher. She grabbed an abandoned tablet and a phone on the window. Noticing several new notifications. She did not read them at once, she returned to the living room, switching off the receiver, going up to the upper floor. Anika trotted right next to her feet. She went into the bedroom, where she left two devices on the dresser, entering the wardrobe.  
She stood in front of the coat hanger, browsing their contents, what would be appropriate for the wedding. Browsing through more creations, either elegant or skirts every day, she had virtually no idea what she could wear.  
— It would be useful Selena — she murmured at the very mention of a friend who was very well informed in the fashion world and how no one else could advise what to wear.  
Adams was a promising designer. She showed her a few creations, which she made, and although her style did not quite suit her taste, she had to admit that she knew her wachu. Resigned, she grabbed all the hangers with an interesting wardrobe, throwing everything on the bed. She went twice with clothes, since she was completely replaced, she had much more clothes than in her entire life. She asked her brother not to buy so much, but after a long argument with the older musician, she did not have the strength to put forward further arguments and equipped her with Katline as a wardrobe.  
Resigned two hours later, unable to choose a particular dress, she grabbed the tablet lying on the dresser and went into a video call with a brunette. After three signals, she picked up, showing her face in a black mask.  
— Hi, sun — she greeted happily, swallowing the last portions of a fruit salad.  
— Hey Selena. Do you have some time? — She asked, leaning the device against the shoulder of the bed.  
She saw a girl walking around the room, and after a moment she saw her closing the door behind her.  
— For you always. What happened? — she went down the stairs to a versatile kitchen, leaving a bowl, which until now was a tasty fruit salad.  
— Do you remember how, I told you that I was going with a friend to a friend's wedding?  
— Yes — she replied, sitting down on the kitchen counter, to the dissatisfaction of her mother.  
— I need help. I have no idea what to put on me.  
Unexpectedly, there was a message about the person joining the conversation, and moments later on the screen saw the face of the blonde, her beloved British cat sat on her hands.  
— Alex, it's good that you are — Selena began, running up the stairs to her bedroom. — Collect, go to Julia, and give me your address, where you live — she ordered.  
She laughed softly. Knowing the impulsive character of the brunette, she guessed that she would come up with something like that, preferring to postpone the moment until she invited them to her, because she wanted her to find out in some other way about her relationship with a known musician. However, considering his busy schedule in recent weeks, he will not appear at home sooner than at two or even three in the morning. She could boldly invite them. She hung up, sending the street name and house number to the girls. She looked around the room, considering that it looked decent.  
Twenty minutes later, she ran down the stairs, almost falling from the last step. Stumbling over her own feet, she ran to the entrance, turned the key to see the familiar silhouettes of her friends on the threshold. She let them in. They walked through the tiny corridor to stand in the worn-out salon, which fell into darkness, and only the lights under the stairs illuminated him, a bright glow glowing on the wall covered with bricks around them.  
— Nice here — Withe looked around the living room, turning around her own axis, looking at the high ceiling and hanging from it a lamp with many crystals — Someone has worked hard to arrange it. Do you live alone here? — She turned to her friend, who only nodded with amusement.  
— No, this is my brother's house — she said politely, taking juice and some snacks from the kitchen.  
— You did not mention that you have a brother — Selena immediately remembered every conversation they tried to find out who she lives in Los Angeles, but she effectively skipped the topic, and eventually came to the conclusion that Alex lived alone in the metropolis, he does not mention anything about his family.  
— Long story and very boring — she invited them with a hand gesture to follow her.  
— Tell us, at least what's called — the brunette became curious when they entered the second floor of the apartment.  
— Chester — she said as she pushed the door of her kingdom with her arm.  
Colleagues stood in the entrance dumbfounded at the sight of their friend's room, from the moment when she lived here, nothing practically has changed, only an easel, which she bought after long persuasions of Michael. She left her in a corner with several newspapers that served her like a rug, so as not to soil the floors while painting. Books or CDs were arranged in an open shelf, she had to admit that she did not even expect that she had so many music CDs that began to grow with time. In the desk she left, the object for drawing, there were favorite pencils, which she used to draw a portrait lying on a dark countertop. She hid a lot of other utensils in her desks in a desk or dresser. Frames for photos that were previously empty, were now photos of her with friends, brother or band. He acquired this girlish style for these three months.  
She left everything she brought with her on the table, looking at the paintings on the wall that she was looking at. She broke them away from admiring the views, dragging them toward the bed, where she left all her clothes.  
— I want to live here — Selena said happily, some minutes later, when she saw the wardrobe of her friend filled with clothes or small things. She grabbed a T—shirt from a pile of similar clothes, putting it on her chest — Cudna is — she looked down at a T—shirt with a New York print tied in her navel. Would you borrow it for me? — she asked.  
She nodded, letting her take her for a while.  
— Okay now, help me, because in the pants my friend will not let me go.  
They laughed together, and then they set out together for choosing the creation for the upcoming party. Julia was still trying on new dresses that she had not yet had the chance to wear. She paced the room in subsequent scenes, letting the girls assess the effect. It was nine o'clock, and she still had no idea what to wear. She put on a dress with a shade of light powder pink. She was stripped of one shoulder strap, revealing his slightly overthrown skin. The dress adhered perfectly to her bust, clinging to one strap, which ended with a lace trim to the elbow. The cut was simple and unobtrusive, which satisfied it completely. She left the wardrobe, to which she was pushed by her friends and showed herself to the girls. High school girls spread out on a soft mattress, gouging the best portions of croissants prepared by her.  
— How do you think...? — Before she could speak, her brother's calls were heard in the hall.  
Hearing his raised voice, she felt a slight stress, she did not want the girls to get to know him, he also wanted to avoid publicity, let alone recognize school in school because he has a famous brother. She knew that she could trust the girls, but she was afraid of this meeting, and she felt that it was inevitable now. She sighed deeply, calling him to her. The door to the room opened and a musician stood in their favorite leather jacket.  
— Young, your tutor called me. He claims that you left school. Can you explain it to me?  
She peeked out of the corner of her eye at her friends, who in disbelief and surprise watched the man standing in the doorway. They were speechless for a moment, not believing that a well-known vocalist, a popular music group, does not actually stand in the bedroom of their friend.  
— Why did you come back so early? — she asked, convinced of the brother's later return from the studio.  
— Ryan had to go home and stop trying — he explained calmly, still oblivious to the presence of two teenagers — You'll answer my question.  
— I will tell you later, take Anika for a walk, because I can not go with her — she flew when the bitch for an hour, she wanted to take her out, for an evening walk in the park.  
— Okay — his attention was drawn to teenagers sitting on the bed — Hi, you probably Alex and Selena?  
Nervous girls nodded slightly as if they were speechless and unable to discuss normally. Not wanting to disturb the high school students, he summoned the dog to him, then silently closed the door to the room. When they were certain that the musician would not hear them, Selena almost shouted out the words that were on her lips:  
– What was Chester Bennington doing here?  
Julia could not stop the silent laughter coming to her lips. She put her hand to her mouth, suppressing the joy, all the stress suddenly disappeared, as long as her brother accepted the unannounced guests, she could not say that about her friends who do not meet every day in the house of a friend known to the vocalist.  
— He lives — the gray-haired girl replied, trying to control the fit of Joy — I told you it was my brother's house.  
— Your brother is...  
— Yes, Chester is my older brother — she finished her sentence.  
She heard her friend, whispering a curse under her breath, but she did not pay attention to it. Silent until now, Alexander did not even express her opinion as violently as her longtime friend. When, finally, the question she was asking she was so afraid of, Julia grew serious, and the joy that prevailed in her heart suddenly disappeared.  
— I did not tell you because he does not want the media, let alone a rumor about our relationship. You know April and her retinue well, they can do anything for a good rumor if it's possible. We do not want the media to appear that the famous singer has a sister, which he hides. We prefer to avoid scandals.  
— You are aware, however, that sooner or later they will learn about your existence —they slowly descended on the lit steps.  
— It is inevitable, but for now, I prefer that my sister live like any of you. Not having journalists or paparazzi journalists on them — they looked at the master of the house, leaning against the kitchen, holding a cup of hot tea. He put it on the table and looked at the girls standing in the entrance — I am asking you for discretion. She wants to spare her worries, I am counting on you that you will not tell anyone anything — he stared at them with the eyes of his dark irises.  
Girls nodded fervently, but still had many questions that I was tired of, but it was not the right time to explain. They said good-bye to their siblings, wishing good night.

She corrected the dress she was wearing on her nervously, glancing at the electronic watch on the bedside table. The numbers were arranged a few minutes after the thirteenth, she agreed with the drummer that she would come for her half an hour before the wedding ceremony, which was to take place in a nearby church. She did not know how stressed she was when she was a companion, she had no reason to be nervous, right? However, there was anxiety about her strangers. A feeling that she could not get rid of at all costs. She sighed quietly, taking a clutch bag from the dresser, inserting her phone and a few essentials. She looked at the room without any mess or dirt and closed the door behind her. Slowly she descended the steps, careful not to stumble on her high shoes.  
She looked at the open living room, in which the voice of the announcer who commented on the football game resounded. Chester, who spent most of his time at work in recent weeks, took advantage of Saturday to rest and watch the game of his favorite team. She sat on the edge of the sofa and looked at the TV screen.  
— How results? — she glanced curiously at the brother lying on the sofa.  
– They lose by two points – he replied without taking his eyes off the broadcast game.  
— It is not comforting at all, they will lose the championship — she observed, looking at the result tables in the top right corner.  
— They have a chance to do it in the second half — he rose from the soft cushions when the first advertisement appeared.  
He measured her with a look. Powdered dress with lace trim perfectly adhered to her slim figure, black heels perfectly exposed her shapely legs. She did not bother with the make-up she wore everyday, but only underlined the eye. The hair was perfectly flowing down her slightly tossed shoulders. She looked really beautiful and it was a nice sight to see her finally in a dress. In spite of the stuffed wardrobe with these creations, she always walked in pants or shorts, claiming that she would dress the dress only when she was forced to do so.  
— Sister I finally see you in the dress — he said with satisfaction — You look like a girl at last.  
She did not comment on that, she knew well that she was joking, somehow she had no mood for cutting out more pieces. Her thoughts were interrupted by a quiet melody spreading through the house.  
— Open — Chester shouted from the kitchen.  
She heard the buzz of conversation in the hallway, grabbed a glass of water, standing on the table, sipping a few mouthfuls, she put the glass on the table when her brother appeared in the passage in the company of Bourdon. Robert wore a suited black suit, a white fitted shirt with only a pink tie. A similar color of the posetka was perfectly inserted into the chest pocket. Unruly hair, which usually fluttered in every man's hand, he combed a little back. She noticed that she was holding a bouquet of white roses in her hand.  
— Hi — he smiled slightly at the sight of a slightly nervous teenager. The view of Julia in the dress was not frequent, he rather never saw her in this subtly feminine wardrobe, he knew her from wearing shorts or loose shirts, but he could not say that she did not look ugly, on the contrary. She looked really nice.  
— You look beautiful — he handed her a bouquet of her favorite flowers, picked up the stalks tied in a pink ribbon. She moved to her nose, inhaling the delicate aroma. A delicate smile brightened her face.  
— Thank you — she went to the kitchen to put the plants in the water, apologizing to them at that time. She returned after a while, putting the crystal vase on the dresser, grabbing the purse she had left on the sofa.  
— Ready? — He asked.  
She nodded, said goodbye to her brother, who wished them good fun, not even bothering to come up with some malice. He returned to the further game, which was resumed after the break.  
They stood in front of a small church surrounded by a few trees, which gave a shade on the last sunny days, before the hate of the people hates them, people, despite their anxiety, enjoyed the sunny days. She grabbed the man by the arm he had offered her and headed down the cobbled courtyard surrounded by the flowering floral alleys straight to the interior of the cathedral. The interior was not too large with splendor. In the corners of the benches hung bouquets of white tulips, and a delicate cream ribbon hung between the plants. At the altar there were two vases with the same flowers, and along the room was a creamy pavement that would lead the bride to the altar. She noticed a nervous man standing at the reverend. He was impatient with the approaching wedding, as everyone had fears that his life partner would not abandon him at the altar and leave.  
Rob led her to one of the benches, they sat next to some young couple, she noticed holding a boyfriend's girlfriend by the hand. A delicate hat shielded her face, but she could say that they were at a similar age to music. She did not look at them longer so that they would not consider her insane, she turned her gaze to the bride and the priest.  
The silence did not last long, when the first harpsichord's boredom rang out, introducing the first pair of witnesses into it. A girl dressed in a simple creamy ankle-length dress covered her white high heels. Delicate decorations at the breast made of real crystals added to the creation. She could not look at more jewelry or make-up, but she probably looked nice. The boy who was walking by her side wore a simple navy blue suit, with a buttonhole she noticed an attached bunch of tulips. A second couple came after them, parting at the altar to let in the last few worlds. Mendelson's march resounded in the church, forcing invited guests to the uprising, all curiosity turned towards the open door, where the bride stood at the side of her father. The blonde hair of the girl was placed in a high coke, to which a veil with a long train was attached. The snow-white dress was gentle on the ground. Gorest, who does not have straps, only wrapped his breasts around him, clung tightly to him, decorating the flowers a bit on the girl's skin, the delicate cut in the hub did not reveal much, but added subtlety. The necks adorned a real diamond pendant, and the set was completed by earrings that hung from her ears. She looked really beautiful. She walked slowly across the carpet with a slight smile as she strode to connect with her longtime partner. She stood beside her fiancé and the clergyman began the ceremonies.  
At last they got to the oath, listened intently to the words of the priest who ordered them to hang their clasped hands with a robe, holding a book in their hands, ordering to play the bride behind him:  
— I am taking you, Daphne, for my wife and I vow to you, love and faithfulness...  
She had never been particularly emotional when it came to such touching moments, she rather always took such moments with calmness and humility, which she could not say about half of the girls and women in the church. She saw the tears of emotion on their cheeks, or lurking in the corners of their eyes. There was a quiet conversation, she looked away and saw the girl who was crying quietly on the boy's shoulder, asking him when it would be time for such events. She smiled inwardly again looking at the young people where the bride was taking the oath.  
The ceremony ended with the fondling and joint departure of the Lingsting state from the church. They stood in front of the cathedral door, wanting to give wishes and a gift to the young couple. When she talked to Rob about the gift, he mentioned that she would try to think of something, but she came up with a better idea. She asked him to photograph his friend and her partner, she said she would paint their painting. He opposed her, however, she finally put her on, but when the man saw the end result he was very pleased. He took a drawing from her to take him to decorate him in which tasteful frame. She did not want to go empty-handed, so she wanted to contribute to this gift.  
When the time came to make a wish and give gifts, they all set to a group photo with the bride and groom. As the only one of the gathered women and young girls, she did not hug her partner. She treated Rob as a friend, but she still kept a distance to him, but not only with him, she also kept the careful steps at the rest of the boys, but this barrier slowly disappeared from which she was undoubtedly proud.  
Again, they set off to find a place next to the garden where the party was organized. They crossed the gazebo decorated with many flowers and walked the dance floor, which led to a place for dancing and a music scene there. They approached one of the handsome cream-colored table cloths, the porcelain tableware in the floral motif was almost perfectly arranged on round furniture. The stools were covered with a cream cape and in the back all was a bunch of flowers which the bride demanded. Hanging lamps will probably look lovely in the evening with few balloons. The refreshments which he offered were even quite tasty, moments later the newly married spouses went to the dance floor to dance to their favorite song. When the first notes of Michael Jackson's song were heard, Julia winced slightly at the singer's voice. She did not like the genre he represented, somehow she was never a pop fan, let alone a singer. She did not express a bad opinion about him, but she did not like his works. Rob, who saw her disgusted face, asked her again.  
— You do not like Jackson? — He said, sipping a sip of red wine.  
— Not especially, the pop artist, if he is interested in me, can not make me irritate and want to murder — he reached for decorated glass, taking a big noise of red substance, felt unpleasant burning in the esophagus which moment later disappeared.  
A distraught drummer raised a toast with her when the couple who sat at the table with them moved to the dance floor.  
— I will not affect your taste, but sometimes it is worth to listen to such light music, which he presents, some artists are even curious — he said.  
— Yes, I know Rob, but somehow I prefer rock — she said, cutting the glass with beaten wine to the edge  
— Go dance — he said suddenly, taking off his chair.  
He extended his hand to her, but she hesitated, did not like dancing, because she was afraid that people would think badly about her when they saw her movements on the dance floor. She freely felt in the company of the boys on the houses, which, arranging, knows them longer and knows that she can, to what extent to trust them and they do not laugh at her for crazy steps. They usually joke that she could dance to anyone with Mike.  
— Do not be begged — he firmly grabbed her hand, pulling it out onto the wooden floor. He twisted it gently around his own axis, then took her hand and put the other on her waist. Reluctantly, she gave up and let herself be led in a dance. They danced together the first few songs and had to admit that nobody even looked at them, which pleased her immensely.  
It was evening when she was sitting at the table talking about something with the drummer and the couple who shared the table, how they got along well for one evening. How she could find out the girl's name was Marry, she was a cousin of the bride and her partner was Nicolas, whom she had met with since the beginning of high school. A nice couple, when the garden lights were lit, the vocalist came up to the microphone:  
— Slow down the dance floor, the bride wants to dance with her father — he said, then nodded to his friends to start playing.  
She was sitting next to the drummer, who was drinking another glass of alcohol from what she could find out, Dave promised he would drop by and pick her up so that they could have a good drink. Marry and Nicolas left them moments earlier, thinking that they want to be alone. She was watching us with her glass of Daphne, who stepped onto the dance floor with an older man she kissed on the cheek. She felt her eyes burning at the very sight of a smiling daughter in the shoulders of her parent. She clenched her hands on the glass she kept in the air until her knuckles turned white. She could not look at this view until she resembled the only conversation with her father who expressed his contempt for her and damned frigidity. She knew that she would never see such a moment at her wedding. The only dance that was intended for his father and his daughter will not be. She put down the dish with another portion of red substance, raised herself on the slightly shaky legs. Rob looked at her slightly surprised, apologized, saying that he would return soon and went to the edge of the gardens. She sat down in a gazebo illuminated by lights, removing high heels from her sore calves. She could not look at this dance any longer. Despite all her hatred for her father, she was just sorry that he did not accept her as his own child, he even wanted to get rid of her. She covered her face in her hands as she felt the tears coming to her eyes, blinked quickly, wanting to get rid of the drops of humiliation. She suddenly felt a warm hand on her shoulder, raised her eyes to see Bourdon's brown eyes, raised her head as the musician sat down next to her.  
— I will see at every potential wedding, that fathers are dancing with daughters, I will always run away from this view – she murmured with regret — It will hurt me that my beloved daddy turned out to be a bastard. Why me? — asked a rhetorical question.  
— Your father's behavior is strange — he sighed quietly, looking at her closely. "Even if Chester had tense relations with him in the early years, his relations had become colder. It's unthinkable how this man treated you. You could have a chance for a real home and he deprived you of it.  
— He does not treat this man differently than the sperm dose — she laughed dryly.  
Their discussions were interrupted by a single fireworks fired into the sky. They looked at the sky and the fires formed a heart shape. They both smiled at the sight. The music resounded and Julia smiled gently at the subtle guitar sounds that Richie Sambor himself had in the original. She stood up unpleasantly, taking her friend by the hand and leading her toward the dance floor. She had to dance to this song.  
The wedding was coming to an end in the teenager's head, it was a bit buzzing, the humor improved, she gave up her high heels, walked barefoot on the juicy green grass, sore heels let me know. She was leaning against Rob's shoulder, who had just finished talking to Phoenix. By telling another joke that she put on her tongue, she did not pay attention when the joyous guests began to gather home. Amused by her story, how she took revenge on her brother once again, he saw Farrell entering the dance floor, waving at them holding car keys in his hand.  
— You're young — the bass player chuckled, seeing the teenager's condition.  
— I'm not at all — she mumbled, embracing him with an arm in which she held her bright shoes.  
— There is nothing to drink your friend's sister — he threw to his wobbly friend.  
— I did not drink alcohol at all! I know he is an underage — he began to explain.  
Dave shook his head and led the partygoers to the cars. He drove his friend back to his apartment, after making sure he reached his own strength, he headed for the Bennington villa. When he stood in the driveway, he helped the high school student from the car.  
— I did not have such a man who lived in the koster — the girl laughed as she lost ground under her feet, heard the quiet sigh of a friend who was holding her, calling the door.  
The wooden wing opened and a sleepy singer stood in them, looked at Dave to look at his drunken sister who was trying to go normally, but with poor results. When her legs refused to obey her, she felt the strength of her brother's arms on her waist, listening to her friend's requests to lead her to bed before he left.  
The morning of the next day was a nightmare for her. She woke up with a sharp headache, she had the feeling that something was sitting in her mind and she was tapping her skull firmly. The melody signal did not help her at all. At first she did not understand why she set the alarm clock on a free day, only after a moment she realized that Chester was going on tour today. Muttering something about how bad the alcohol is, she dug out the phone from the purse that was left on the couch by the bed. She ran her finger across the screen, switching off this annoying whimper. She put her face on the quilt and wanted to stay all day under a warm quilt, but her plans verified her life.  
She heavily rose from the couch and went to the bathroom to bring herself to order and dress some quietly. Several minutes later she left the bathroom in dark sweat pants and on her shoulders she put on a hooded sweatshirt that had on her chest a cover of the last Linkin Park album. She put a dark cloth over her head and left the bedroom dragging herself up the stairs, in the hall she saw two large suitcases. The traveling backpack lay on one of the packages. She yawned as she moved to the living room, hoping to get rid of her headache, but the hangover would not pass quickly. In the kitchen, she found Szatin leaning against the kitchen, sipping freshly brewed coffee.  
— Are you okay? — he asked.  
She winced, wavering him to speak quieter, he laughed maliciously, but he handed her a bottle of water and tablets. The fear quickly swallowed, falling on the table.  
— He never drinks alcohol anymore! — She mumbled, covering herself with her sweatshirt.  
— The hangover is tiring.  
— I'm not leaving — she growled softly — When are you coming to get to you? — she raised herself to look at him.  
— They should be — he explained, glancing at his watch — Mike said it would be up to two hours. Like you need something.  
— I dream about the bed — she replied in a whisper.  
The next moment the bus horn rang, Chester put down his cup of coffee. He went out into the corridor, taking his suitcases out of him, followed his steps to say goodbye to him. She stood on the sidewalk where he parked the tour bus. He packed his luggage and came back to her holding a black backpack with the necessary things on the first day of the trip.  
— I think it's time to say goodbye. Take care of yourself — he looked at her seriously, sighed softly, guessing what he was talking about.  
She understood perfectly that she was worried about her attacks and anxiety, but for so many years she had to deal with them alone so she could spend those two months without Shinoda being careful of her attacks, even though she was not at first delighted with the idea with time she saw many pluses in him. But she did not have the strength to think about it.  
She said goodbye to the musician, wishing them a safe journey. She returned to the house and threw herself on the sofa, which she immediately cradled, falling into a deep sleep.


	23. TOM 1— REBEL : 23 —  THE WORST ENEMY, A DEVOTED FRIEND

Wrapped in the pleasantly warm down of a bright cushion, he wanted to return to the land of eternal dreams with dreamy, from which he was brutally awakened. A glowing sheaf of bright light enveloped the teenage schoolgirl of a high school, bathed in the silence of the bedroom. He tried to turn to the other side to escape the intrusive light, but something did not allow him to turn away. He opened his eyelids with difficulty, he got used to the blinding sun. He looked across the blue walls of the room, seeing some of his work on them. Consciousness began to come back when he realized that he was not at home. Memories of the early morning attacked him when he accompanied Julia, without much interest in browsing the forum or conducting a loose discussion with a teenager. He had to admit that nothing made him as happy as any meeting or conversation with a young girl. They shared almost a decade of difference, but it did not matter when they were able to understand a lot of topics or just liked to joke with each other. At no one else did he feel as free as in the presence of young Bennington.  
His Taylor's relationship might have been successful and seemingly happy at first. Friends envied them for such a sincere and devoted relationship after so many years of acquaintance. They were skeptical about their marriages when they told them that they were going to get married, but over time they saw that they were not right to say that they might not succeed when they knew the happiness of two young people in love. It seemed that the wedding would only strengthen their deep feeling of lying. In this one special day, he was at the same time a bargaining chip for a later life full of intrigues and mysteries. However, he did not see it then. He did not see the other face of his fiancée, whom he married one April afternoon. He signed a contract with her, a contract based on a one-sided lie and constant betrayals. What an irony of fate, when they confirmed their friends in the conviction of an excellent marriage, his ex-wife, pulled out his decks of cards, starting his own game, in which he could not free himself afterwards.  
He sighed prolonged, dodging unwanted thoughts. He returned with disgust to moments of connection with Smith. He must have forgotten about her. It was a finished chapter that was already over. He began a new life with a clean card in the book he wrote himself. Being careful not to commit the previous mistakes again. He left only this baggage of his old life, a sack of works that he should not duplicate.  
He looked down as he felt the small hands of the teenager who had wrapped his arms around his waist. He smiled at the sight as the high school girl unwittingly clung to his side, as if unconsciously feeling the closeness of the other person. It would be a wonderful feeling, if not for the fact that his friend, even being aware, refuses to touch. Yes, she could have allowed herself this evening for such intimacy, but he preferred to spare her worries. He did not want to create awkward scenes or conversations that they preferred to avoid. Remembering this very moment.  
He gently removed her hands from his naked torso, rejecting the cover they were wearing. He covered her arms with a warm blanket, he had no heart to wake her up. He knew very well that Julia was a type of lazy girl who hates getting up earlier if it is not necessary. Was it normal that despite such a short acquaintance, he got to know some of the habits or preferences of an eighteen year old? Some habits were strange to him. The team laughed that their relations were no longer purely friendly, but turned into something completely more permanent, something like a feeling of desire or common sympathy. However, it was a hypocrisy, he could not look at her from a different angle than only her friends. I guess it was, he told himself, but he was not convinced that Julia was really only a good friend and that the suggestions of his friends were correct. I will not lie if he finds that if he had to compare a high school student with his ex-wife, in many respects he saw the positives of a patchwork, which he did not notice, being married to Taylor. He was one big swing of emotions and galloping feelings.  
He left her bedroom, returning to the temporary room. He picked up some casual shorts or a plain T-shirt from the wardrobe. He did not want to tune in, he did not plan to go to the studio today, let alone meet with him. Last week was marked by constant meetings or recording of parties for subsequent demos or works. He needed at least one day of rest. Pulling a dark t-shirt over his head, he walked along a brightly lit corridor. He threw the material over his shoulders, descending the steps of the villa to the living room.  
Two tetrapods settled comfortably on the bright sofa, still sleeping soundly. He smiled at the sight, although it did not promise to be a good acquaintance between the two favorite pets, but the tolerance of the bitch did not pass over time. He went into the kitchen, leaning on a kitchenette, earlier including a coffee expert. It was going to be another warm day, but every citizen was worried about the hurricane approaching the city. Although such anomalies often occur at the southern end of the country, and the Florida states suffered the most at this time, the inhabitants of sunny California were trembling at the thought that eventually the phenomenon would reach their city. Meteorologists have warned that it could invade the coast, it can be estimated in the second Saffir-Simpson scale.  
He switched on the radio on the nearby shelf, when the announcer announced the latest news about the approaching cyclone to the coast.  
— According to forecasts by meteorologists, Hurricane Irco is approaching California's coast with enormous strength... — listening to the words of a man, he prepared hot caffeine for himself to get a little awake, because he did not sleep the night. He drank a sip of the drink when another information came that a hurricane could reach the city in about seven days.  
— I was convinced that he would not reach land — he looked up at the teenager standing in the aisle.  
She stood clad in a flimsy nightgown, wearing only a satin robe, her previously dissolved hair tied in a braid that fell to her right shoulder. He could see the fear and anxiety on her face, listening to the words of the journalist. He got the impression that the 18—year—old is afraid. He is afraid of the impending phenomenon. However, he was not surprised at all. Fear was natural when it came to strong winds or heavy rains that could have caused a lot of damage. He would be a fool if he thought that the girl did not feel fear. Julia belonged to people with a strong character, however, as every man felt respect for something and that was one of those things. He put the mug down on the counter and glanced at her with a sad smile.  
— There will be nothing left for us to prepare for it — he replied as the teenager sat down on the bar chair.  
— Bad consolation — she murmured, supporting her chin in her hand.  
He sighed quietly, substituting a white mug with an expert print. He could not count on a different reaction, in the end he carries a serious threat. Never before has Los Angeles been hit by a hurricane measured on the third scale. She slid off the stool, walked over to him, saw the distress on her tired face. She picked up a mug of hot drink from him, got a good sip.  
— Did you hear what's going on? — she sat in the passenger seat as they were heading to one of the larger stores, because they needed things. She talked on video chat with her brother who had moments of free time before the upcoming rehearsal.  
— That's how the information came to me — admitted the vocalist, sitting down in one of the armchairs.  
They stopped at a red light, Mike perched behind a driver saw several people walking with leaflets. The man handed the driver card in front of his car, then turned to him. He handed him a piece of paper stored in a computer script. He glanced briefly at the written text, it was a warning against the approaching cyclone and the request and printout of the most necessary things during a hurricane. He handed the card to the girl, which she accepted, followed by looking at the points and the mention of a possible evacuation, which was not compulsory. She read the last bullet where all the necessary products were listed, or things stating that a few of the items could have crossed out because they had these things at home.  
— Forgive me for not having me with you — She focused her eyes again on the phone's screen.  
— I have no reason to be angry, after all you could not predict that a hurricane will appear on the route — she said, folding a card and hiding it in her bag — Besides, I'm not alone — she added, a little less stressed.  
She glanced stealthily toward Shinoda, who gave her a gentle smile, focusing again on the road. Earlier she had a bad brother that he had an idea of Mike's presence during his departure, but now that this dangerous phenomenon was approaching the city, she was comforted by the fact that she had someone with her and would be able to spend a few days with him when she visited their hurricane. She was afraid to be alone, maybe her usual storms were unpredictable, one that was completely different, more dangerous, she was afraid that something might happen to them. However, Chester assured her that the house is prepared for such situations so one worry less.  
— Admit that it was a good idea.  
She rolled her eyes, hearing his suggestions, saw him as Mike, nodding with the deprobate, entering the parquet of a nearby market.  
— The only idea that worked for you — she said, stepping out of the vehicle, throwing her purse over her shoulder. She laughed when she heard his indignant tone of voice, but she did not have time to argue with him. She said goodbye, throwing her smartphone inside the clutch bag.  
The sky covered a lot of heavy brass clouds, which after a while flew with spirited rain, parked the car in a deserted garage when their first thunderings were heard. The weather apparently prepared the inhabitants for the approaching cyclone, which he waded to them without deviating from his path. From recent information, meteorologists fear that a hurricane may appear even in five days. They made the right decisions by going to the center just after breakfast.  
— I love California, but I can not stand hurricanes — said the teenager, incenseing one of the many cardboard nets filled with foodstuffs.  
— There are pros and cons of living in such a climate zone — said the musician, returning to the car for the rest of shopping.  
— You have excellent comments from the morning— she called after him lightly ironically, taking out packages with dry food.  
— Forgive me that I do not want to "Shinoda jester" — the man came with another two nets.  
She emerged behind the pantry hidden behind the fridge, stacking the purchased food on the shelves. She looked at him in disgust, but he did not take in her eyes. Suddenly the sound of the incoming call was heard. A silent melody cut them off from the conversation when they heard the sound of the vibrating teenager's phone dropped onto the kitchen counter. She grabbed the phone on which the photo of Aleksnadra was displayed. She put her finger on the green receiver, putting the hearing aid to her ear:  
— Hi Julia — she said hello, and she was sure she was smiling a Little — Are you busy?  
— Yes, a little, but I can talk to you — she said, seeing a man, shelves bottles of drinking water on the shelves — Only change the mode — pulled the phone off, turned on the speaker, on a small keyboard to put down the white IPhone on the bar — I am — she announced.  
— Did you hear the latest information?  
— Yes, they comfort me a lot — she murmured, taking out the last packet with crunchy food — I'm curious what about the school.  
— They are supposed to close it the day before the hurricane is announced — my friend explained — Ever since I've lived in Los Angeles, it has never happened.  
She let the air out of her lungs, pouring fresh water into the electronic kettle. Listening to the best friend's explanation, when she mentioned that she had not encountered such a sudden phenomenon in the city of angels, Mike appeared at the doorstep, nodding as she gestured to prepare warm tea.  
— It will be our first surviving hurricane — she said, slightly amused as the man sat on the kitchen bar, delving into his phone.  
From the moment Julia set up her account on a social network, he was a frequent visitor. In such a short time he won many followers, surpassing his younger friend in the reveal of his website. She was not surprised or surprised at all. Many fans were happy when they noticed the account of one of their favorites, they were curious about what is going on with him or doing something interesting, but apart from a few posts that he has put in so far, he did not give much. Often, however, he liked to read conversations under his posts, he only once joined the conversation, when Julia gathered for jokes and wrote some stupid things under his remarks. He joined her, treating her like an ordinary fan. It would be suspicious if they started free conversation as if nothing had happened. Cautious people had to be even on the internet, which sometimes made their lives difficult. However, they had to sacrifice something for the sake of the matter.  
— Shit — said Withe.  
— What happened? — she asked surprised, giving his friend a cup with a hot aromatic drink.  
He thanked with a nod, going back to browsing through the entries. She put the phone back to her ear again, then returned to her normal conversation. She went into the living room, settling herself on the bright couch. Jay, who sprawled on one of the pillows, jumped with his front paws at her legs, demanding a caress. Anika drank that afternoon in front of the unheated fireplace. She scratched at the husky's ear, who was obviously pleased to demand more.  
— Did you see what April put on MySpace?  
— No — she replied, amazed.  
— You better look at it.  
She had no idea what her friend was talking about, but it certainly did not bode well, if it was about the school cheerleader team captain. For a few weeks, the blonde has been waging war with her for positions in the classroom and especially in the school's elite. Julia was more and more often noticed by the school's stars, when she impressed them with constant fights with their peers or with what she was adamant in the school corridors when they accidentally bumped into each other in the aisle. Crystal often teased the students when she dropped in at the door for a student, even she made her apologize, not even paying attention to her accident. The scared kid did what she told him. When she tried this number with Julia, something did not work out.

She adjusted the books falling off her shoulders, moving quickly to the classroom, she did not have much time to get there. When she was under the Spanish language, she was already reaching for the door handle, wanting to open it when the bright door opened with a bang, knocking her to the ground. She grabbed the temple, feeling a throbbing headache after meeting with light wood.  
— You see what you did to Bennington –— she murmured inwardly, hearing the mocking tone of her greatest rial — Will you stay here long? I'll get an apology — she growled.  
She jumped up violently when the girl's words reached her. It was the height of the impudence for her. She was the victim of this accident, not provoking him, and her rival is asking for an apology. It was a mockery and some hilarious joke.  
— Why should I apologize to you? For the lousy face or the fact that I'm standing with a tumor in the middle of the corridor — scattered books were at her feet, but it did not matter now — Should I regret your stupidity Crystal! She raised her voice, feeling her anger rising.  
He will not allow himself to spit in the face. Not this time.  
The girl snarled, however, she was indifferent, she did not intend to remain indebted to her. They measured a hateful look. It was their second confrontation in one day. The teachers did not even know about the ongoing conflict between the two students. They lived in a sweet state of knowledge and preferred that it would remain so.  
— April is right, you came up with her — one of her friends said.  
Julia wanted to hit her face when she heard the assurance of a brunette with tight busts. That's what makes people popular and over-praised. On the other hand, she felt like laughed at the lack of their intelligence. The clones of the blonde will say anything to put their best friend on the side. She was sick at the mere mention of such a knowledge of its lack, because she could not call it a healthy relationship between her best friends.  
— Another one who went instead of going to the brain because she had artificial breasts — she whimpered, leaning down to collect her things from the tiles.  
— What did you say?! — Dark—haired indignant.  
She saw that she wanted to hit her, she had already swung her teenager, she used her not to pay attention, grabbed her arm, twisting her back, a look of disquiet and suffering ran through her face, but no strangled moan escaped her.  
— Do not even try — she warned her, rummaging in her ear softly.  
She pushed her away like a preliminary insect, her hands clutched with something nasty, because she turned to the blonde.  
— Do not try these April numbers with me, because it's your face that will land. I will not be nice next time — she said louder now that her faithful friends would hear her — I can only apologize to you if you show me that you have some intelligence and I can not see the future sincerely — she gave them a luscious smile, passed them by, deliberately poking along the arm of a silent girl so far.

The quarrels between her and Crystal were more and more frequent, but each came out with a face, plunging the more self-styled blonde. It is said that someone has to win, that someone could lose, she was more and more often in a winning position, destroying the wonderful reputation of school beauty.  
— Give me a tablet — she turned to Shinoda who sat in the chair watching something on TV.  
— What were you saying? — Alex heard surprised.  
— I did not address you — she explained as she held the clear device in her hands. She put the phone on her shoulder, unlocking the screen to get to the portal that her friend was talking about. She entered April Crystal's account and glanced at the last entry she made.  
— I will destroy her — she snarled, reading the last entry, scanning her comments.

Selena — Crystal you are dead! Do not show up at school!  
In April's reply — What hurt the truth?  
Nathan — You think it's fair, you are wrong, it falls under the penal code.  
Alex — I think you want a war. What is not good at the top? We will destroy you!  
In April's reply — You me, do not make me laugh.

— I will not play with her like that - she murmured to her friend, she felt Michael's surprised look on herself, but she did not pay attention to it. She knew that he would want to know what had happened, but now it was more important to destroy this plastic doll.

Julia — Crystal, you had the last warnings that I gave you now with my good heart! You started the battle, but remember, I will win the war. I will make you the most hated person in school history. The zdzis do not take off with me.

The answer came quickly, which surprised her, re-enabled applications, reading the comments of her rivals.

In April's reply — You are very funny Bennington. Everyone loves me at school. They will hate me, it's worth laughter, your say, you will not remember well.  
In reply, Nicolas — They rather hate counterfeit Barbie dolls.  
In reply April — Something you said!  
In response, Elena — The truth tells you a finished imitation of a ton of botox and artificial breasts.

She did not read another statement, which was divided, some asked her not to do it, others cheered in the upcoming battle with the beginning actresses. As she defined herself, the truth was that she appeared in a small advertising spot, which after a week was taken off the television. She cherishes that she got a one-time engagement, she naively waited for another invitation to the casting, but with a poor result, because her phone was silent, and the producers were said to be disgusted by the performance of a young girl. They accepted her because of her father's position. The money can do anything.  
— It's better that she will not be in high school tomorrow. As never before, I want to drag myself into a dark alley and throw myself at a sour apple — the rage that raged in her, gave her a flammable sense of revenge on her rival.  
A surprised man sat down next to her, looking at her reddened face. The display lighted up, every few seconds informing about subsequent notifications from the site, but did not want to read them for now.  
— You'd better do something.  
— I will not answer such a primitive post. I have a much better idea. She will remember me! — said goodbye to her friend, rejecting the phone on the table, on her thighs still rested the white IPad.  
She sighed deeply, hiding her face in her hands, she needed to cool down after what her friend put in her profile. She wanted to suppress the high school student who started to make her up, inventing such a subordinate idea. Irony thought that it would discourage her, but she did not know that she had pleaded with the girls who would not let themselves be denounced.  
From today, Julia Bennington and April Crystal stood on opposite battlefields with their own army or supporters. The missiles were removed from the depot and the weapons prepared for battle.  
— What happened? — Michael's worried voice came over her.  
She felt her hand on her arm. She pushed her trembling hands away from her face, staring at the fireplace. She turned to him, worried about the last outburst of her anger. Unlocked the screen, then ran a finger to the beginning of the entry and the inserted photo, showing to a friend. She knew that he would not let her go and he would insist until he found out the truth, he was also young himself, he knew well what was the problem of teenagers.  
— Really? — he asked in amazement, looking at the text under the picture.  
— Yes — she said coldly – The chick has gone a step too far.  
— What are you going to do?  
— You better not know about it.  
She got up from the sofa, jumped over her headline, heading for the bright steps.  
— I'm begging you, but you will not go into conflict with the law, because Chester will send me to the ground.  
She turned on her heel as she stood on the fourth step.  
— Do not be afraid, I'm not going to do anything about it – She smiled at him, then ran upstairs, leaving the man alone.

In the evening she sat by the burning fireplace, and the rain was still in the windows of the apartment. Browsing the channel with film productions, she could not decide what to look at. She spent the last hours preparing a counter attack on April, just before she put her work on the Internet. However, she did not have a phone or tablet on her to check the results of her provocation. She was sure, however, that she moved the wave among high school students.  
— Mike — she cried frustrated as the musician disappeared ten minutes into the kitchen. He was supposed to return with popcorn and what to drink and left her to pick a movie, but she could not decide herself.  
— Did you choose something? — She heard his answer from the kitchen.  
— If I had decided on something, I would not call you — she murmured.  
The musician appeared in the passage with a bowl of roasted corn and two glasses filled with a frozen drink. He put everything on the table, falling on the sofa next to his friend.  
— Comedy or drama? She asked, looking at the man.  
— Do I have the right fears to fear your choices? — he looked at her suspiciously as she flew between two files, displayed on the TV screen, but each of them had some incomprehensible name for him, a chatter of random letters.  
— Speak — she got impatient.  
— Drama — he said, covering himself with a blanket that was thrown over the tucked up legs of the teenager.  
He saw the cunning smile that appeared on her face. She turned on the first of the attachments, and he inwardly cursed. He moaned, seeing the first shots of the film.  
—You did it especially! I said I would not see this with you. You set me up — Mike rumbled, as the opening credits continued, and he was looking at the cheering friend who could no longer hide the chuckle.  
— I won — she grinned — Brad's holding twenty bucks.  
– You made a deal with Delson! Who I live with — he grumbled.  
He wanted to get up and leave but felt a strong grip on his wrist. He fell on his teenager's knees under the sudden movement, leaned over him with a triumph painted in those blue eyes.  
— I made my brother do it, it was easy with you — She kissed him on the cheek quickly, then threw him from her hips. She reached into a bowl of snacks, staring at the initial scenes from the Titanic.


	25. TOM 1— REBEL : 24 — I NEED YOU

She leaned against a nearby wall, propping her foot on a light column, crossed her arms over her chest, peering out from under the lightly squinted eyelids at the brunette standing next to her, who with passion and huge talk told something to her boyfriend Brandon. Watching her, she caught his desperate gaze, a grimace of dissatisfaction running through his tanned face, silently moving his lips to free him from his unpredictable sympathy.  
Not once proved to him that when it comes to her passion for designing and transferring her creations from white pages of the notebook she was very moody. No one could have foreseen its behavior or how it would react to trivialities that might disperse it. Selena was too impetuous, although she did not accept this flaw when her relatives or friends tried to make her aware that sometimes she was acting too irrational, she did not accept attempts to speak her sense.  
However, they loved her lively character, which was sometimes unpredictable. The 18-year-old was a person who was able to bring everyone closer together, although they could have a change of opinion or task, in the company of this girl she forgot her sentences and enjoyed life.  
— Hi — she broke eye contact with her friend's boyfriend, turning her head to meet Alex, who was aiming towards them, along with Aaron, who in a hurry was wearing a school football blouse.  
The blonde looked up at her closest friend who was explaining something to Bernette.  
— Selena in her element — she laughed, grabbing the dark bag she had previously given to her partner.  
She looked at him, kissed him goodbye as the playmaker ran after his teammates, shouting for them to wait for him. She felt a stab in her heart. Love flourished around her, her friends were living in happy relationships since the end of gymnasium, and he had to deal with two unsuccessful love professions. She blamed herself for the nasty selection of life partners. Clark was a boy who, with time, began to treat her like a proverbial maid, she could forget about romantic evenings spent at the cinema or in the park. The feelings in this relationship were like trash scattered on the floor, trampled on fine dust. Could she call him his sympathy when, with time, he started to raise his hand? The partnership arrangement, and not the connection, was guided by this toxic acquaintance. She managed to manipulate, play according to its rules, her opinion did not matter. He counted and what he believed was the most important thing. Pathetic, however, she had to put herself in front of the obvious truth, she lived in some strange arrangement where only an alpha male had the voice. She winced slightly at those memories, despite the three years of separation she saw Kent's face in her worst nightmares. She could see his wretched, mocking smile that she often saw when they met at his house to be alone. She did not mention this relationship nice, she rather wanted to wipe her out of her mind, to chase them away from her. Bury the unwanted memories under the rubble.  
She wanted love, as every teenager dreamed of a boy who would be captivated by her. She will love her as the only one for whom she will be able to do anything, and their relations based on purely friendly relations would not be a torment for her, from which she wanted to get out. She dreamed of the evenings above the water, feeling the cool breeze of the dark lake on her face, lying on the blanket in the beloved's safe arms. To sit on the bed under the cover of the night exchanging messages with him, she would not mind if they were sweetened with a ton of sensitive words or would later confess love. Details that colored their relationship. She wanted to love and be loved. She thought she would find those feelings with Justin. Indeed, their relationship was based on mutual partnership, but what was her after this familiarity, if the boy behaved like the last coward, leaving her. He did not fight for her. He did not turn out to be a prince on a white horse.  
It could have been expected, however, from the early age she had not seen anything good. Her whole life was full of lies and secrets. She lived in the illusion of existence created by her, those to whom she was supposed to rely and trust them immeasurably. She was an imitation of a teenager raised at home. For how could she feel happy if so many hyenas awaited her around her.  
She could not deceive herself, though she could do it for a long time.  
She envied them.  
She stared wistfully at the emerging feeling between Emily and Nathan and the vivid associations of her two friends. She did not have a heart of stone. She wanted to cheat herself, but how could she hide more from herself that she wanted a mutual love of the one she could love. Why did she care more for a certain man? She let her approach her, gave him the chance she did not give anyone. He replaced sadness with joy. He could make her laugh

They sat on soft pillows spread out on the down carpet in the living room. The dim light cleared the darkness of the court. The dark cloak of the sky was cut by another lightning, creating an amazing illusion against a navy-blue state. She could delight and at the same time arouse fear when he thrashed the neighborhood. He leaned against the light couch, staring at the teenaged girl. She lay covered with warm cloth blanket at his side with a grimace of boredom painted in her blue eyes. She turned the next page of the reading of the Things that were carried by Tim O'Brian, even pulling the pages from the volume of the novel.  
— Why school reading, they must be so boring — she moaned, unable to focus her eyes on the text read, her eyelids dropping down themselves, reading the next chapters about the fate of Alfa Company.  
— From Romeo and Juliet, you could not tear yourself away — he reminded her as memories of the last days of school vacations flooded into his mind. The teenager turned over the pages of the romantic novel, wanting to get to know again the fate of two minor lovers.  
— It was different! — she indignant, inserting the bookmark between the volumes of the volume.  
The musician laughed softly when the thunder rumbled in the area again. She looked at him with a glare that made the man even more amused. After a while he took control of joy. He groped for the book she was reading, taking it from her hand.  
— I'll read to you — he took the tab, which marked the last paragraph she read.  
— I'm not a kid! I can read.  
She cried for the book, shouting to return her property, but he took advantage of her moment of inattention. He put the book down on the glass table, grabbed it at the waist when she tried to reach read, sat her on his lap, used her inadvertently as she tried to correct the crooked blouse that had slipped from her shapely belly, passed his fingertips, because her sides he could see her hiding the laughter. He moved his fingers over her waist, creating circles on her. She bit her cheek from the inside, trying not to burst out laughing. She grabbed his wrists, trying to stop him from moving, but he was tenacious, playing with drawing shapes on her stomach, waiting for it to yield, but still had a strong will.  
— Let me go! — she tried to make her voice calm, but he trembled when she felt pleasant tickling.  
— No!  
— Mike, please — a single tear streamed down her cheek, the remnants of strong will, concealing the pleasure that made her feel. She looked at him with a captivated look, but it did not manage to convince him to let her go.  
— You think that this vision will convince me — he laughed, waving his hand over her back.  
She could no longer restrain the laughter growing in her breasts, she leaned forward, concealing her face in his collarbone, and a silent laugh broke through her pursed lips. A smile full of satisfaction brightened his lips.  
— I won — he whispered softly, wrapping her cheek with warm breath.  
She moved away from him slowly, put her hands on his wrists, stopping him from another tickle.  
— You played unfair Shinoda! — she scolded him — You chose the method that could plunge me in a few seconds. Do you think it's fair? — she thrashed, feeling his cold hands on her waist.  
It did not come to her mind to break out of this strong but tender embrace, it was strange, but it was pleasant to her in the arms of the musician. Refusing to touch. At the moment she did not know what it meant. She never felt so relaxed and at the same time so happy in the embrace of her previous boys. By the thought of her that she would like to spend her time so much, she quickly chased away her thoughts. She could not surrender her inner desires to one irrelevant scuffle. Engaging in something that had no future. Mike was like a brother to her, she would never have thought, it was absurd for her to see him as a person with whom she could combine her passion. It was not possible!  
— Admit it, but it was an effective way — he said, clenching his fingertips on the patch of her blouse, which he had corrected for the unconscious teenager.  
He was not a man who uses, situations for his own benefit. Could he undermine their knowledge for such mundane matters as spending the night with a girl who is getting closer to him every day? He did not intend to do this. She trusted him, he did not want to lose her for such a trivial behavior. He wanted to get to know her better. He wanted her to trust him infinitely. He did not know her past, he did not know about her problems with the youthful years she had so secretly suffocated. He knew only the girl he met in mid-June. Shy teenager with the baggage of problems and distress, which slowly passed into oblivion over the following weeks. He hid the secrets he wanted to solve, but he was patient, he waited for the right moment where he would be able to tell him everything.  
— Damn good — she murmured sarcastically.  
— I do not like your little tone — he muttered, joining his hands on her back.  
— And look at me — she said, resting her hands on his chest, moving slightly away from him. A grimace of dissatisfaction ran over his face, to which she laughed softly. She got out of his embrace, then stepped down from his thighs.  
She pulled the abandoned blanket to herself, laying on soft pillows. She laid her head on his knees, looking at him expectantly. He sighed quietly, grabbing the novel lying on the table. He grabbed the marker, which indicated the last paragraph she had read, and in a quiet but deep voice, read the next words.

— What are you smiling so much? — she felt a nudge from the side, she jerked her head up against the eyes of her dear friend.  
She struggled, remembering that she was standing in the middle of the corridor in the company of her colleagues. Scarlet covered her cheeks, dropped her head in embarrassment, the corner of her mouth hovered upward as she remembered every moment spent with Michael from the moment her brother went on tour. She felt outraged by Chester's idea, but now she had to admit that this situation began to appeal to her more and more. Yes, she spent time with other members of the band, but the most pleasant thing was when she could return to the apartment, finding Shinoda, with whom she had a stronger and stronger feeling.  
— I feel love — she jumped up to the sound of Selena's voice.  
She glared at the brunette who gave her a rather ambiguous smile. Disgusted, she nodded, mentally cursing that she let herself be carried away by the memories of the school.  
— What's his name?  
— I'm not in love with anyone! - she said firmly.  
— Certainly, I know how Alex looked at Aaron when she was in love with him, you have an identical look.  
— Selena, I'm asking you, I do not love anyone! — She grabbed the bag dropped on the ground, throwing it on her shoulder when they were stunned by the sound of the bell for classes, which at the moment was a salvation for her.  
She dropped the bag into the corner of the corridor, casually dropping the key to the apartment that had fallen on the bright dresser. She pulled off her soaked leather jacket, hanging it on the metal bar, kicking the dark sneakers from her feet. She went into the open kitchen where she found Mike leaning against the kitchen, then her gaze fell on David, who was sitting in the absence of one, who interrupted his monologue as soon as he heard the door slam.  
— Hi, young!  
— Hey, you're not in the studio? — she asked, reaching for a bottle of water.  
She poured a translucent substance into a glass, enjoying a sip of copious water. She sat on a bright countertop, watching the musicians.  
— We finished earlier today — the bassist explained, finishing the rest of his coffee.  
— Did you record something interesting?  
The men looked at each other, exchanging bored looks. Mike shrugged, claiming that nothing remarkable, as the melody demos claim, were not very interesting to mention.  
— So how was school? — Dave asked as they settled into the living room, listening to the sounds of rainstorm raging behind the windows.  
She leaned back against the couch, watching the raindrops trickle down the windows. The weather seemed to herald a hurricane that was approaching the city, gave the residents stormy storms or a more torrential afternoon, which they loved to spend outside. Now they stayed in their homes, hiding themselves through treacherous water, leaving only when they were forced to do so. Accustomed to sunny days, the Californians looked with disgust at the clouds that were gathering over them, from which the seas of tears were still flowing.  
— Boredom, science, unbearable colleagues, guesses of friends, that is, in one word, nothing interesting.  
— As if I wanted to come back to these teenage years — the redhead sighed.  
She jumped up from the sofa, staring at him in amazement.  
— Do not look at me like this! — he laughed — Over the years, the high school years were appreciated, when we were not forced to make difficult life decisions, life had a better taste then.  
— Do you feel good? — a friend approached him, so far uninterested in the ongoing conversation.  
— Yes, why are you asking?  
Mike looked at him for a moment, as if to make sure he was dealing with his buddy. He waved his hand after a moment, claiming he did not care.

— Where I left him — she murmured, scanning another drawer, hoping to find a sketchbook in a dark blue cover, but the effect was negligible. She dropped another block of paper on the floor, wanting to peer underneath the stack of drawing blocks, which began to grow with time as Mike began to show her other painting techniques.  
Absorbed in her search, she did not see the man standing in the entrance, holding a blue-bound notebook. He leaned against the frame of the wooden wing, creating a fan of it. He smiled slightly when the next sheet of paper was on the floor. He went unnoticed into the room, placing a notebook on the table. He crept up to her from behind, put his hands to her eyes, blocking her view. She moved restlessly under the influence of his touch, but after a while she relaxed her tense body.  
— Mike told you so many times that you would not do it! — boomed, rising from the ground.  
— Forgive me, I could not stop myself — he murmured.  
She murmured something under her breath, returning again to the search of the cupboard, but when she wanted to reach for another empty sketchbook, he stopped her hand halfway. He clenched his hands on her wrist as he felt her surprised look on her.  
— What are you doing?  
— I have something that belongs to you — he announced.  
He grabbed a notebook on a glass table handing to a teenager. She looked slightly surprised at the handhold in her hands, but smiled after a moment, looking up at him.  
— Thank you.  
— A little pri... tiny.  
She tore her eyes from the sheets of paper as Michael's words reached her. He moved restlessly under the influence of her intense gaze.  
— Do not look at me like this! — he complained.  
— What did you want to say? — Asked clearly interested, throwing on the desk already full of drawings with drawings.  
— Nothing!  
— Certainly Michael, beware, I believe you — she mocked.  
The man sighed deeply, slipping out of her bedroom. He heard her laughing behind her.


	26. TOM 1— REBEL : 25 — A REACHEROUS CYCLONE

The wind ruthlessly rattled the crowns of the trees, breaking fragile or weak branches, pitting mercilessly with its mantle over the huge windows of the apartments or the brass frames of family houses. The rains of the rainstorm that rainstormed at the court changed the roads of the metropolis into swift rivers, which, as if they had no natural source from which it flows, did not have river banks for it, where all the water could flow freely, it contradicted natural natural laws. However, everyone knew that mother nature does not know the rules, does not have a rule, according to which she had to live, she did what she wanted. She was her boss and employer. She played with the fear of a terrified man. It pleased her, looking at the pain in their eyes, the anxiety for their four corners.  
She shuddered when the mighty ragged torn the area, which was painfully reflected in her senses. She grabbed a scrap of cape, throwing it over her head, covering her face with a slashing darkness, a bright flash. She was not fearful, she was not afraid of ordinary storms, but it made her feel uneasy in the rainstorm, which was only a harbinger of what was going to happen tomorrow. She was afraid, for the first time in several months she felt fear and growing frustration in her breasts that she would not be able to do anything to stop feeling anxiety inside her, but this time it was not the fear she could say "no" and let him defy it, it was something that she did not know how to feel relief.  
She threw away the frustrated clear sheet, touching the cold panels of the room with her bare feet. She felt her favorite dressing gown in the darkness, which reached only her knees and threw him on her cold shoulders. Being careful not to stumble in the darkness that surrounds her, she took every step carefully, not wanting to fall off the double steps. She did not want to take the phone, the time would come, she would be much needed, yesterday they were deprived of electricity, but they managed to get around it when she learned from her brother that she had an aggregate in the basement that could become their salvation in the most difficult moments of the hurricane.  
She found it hard to go out into the corridor, reached for the handle to pull it, but the wooden wing gave way itself, only what she could understand before she went to the floor was the subtle glow of the candle. In the dim light, she saw the silhouette of a well-built man. She scared frightened, as if she were again a little girl who was afraid of every little thing she heard under the cover of the night, afraid of this one demon who was still haunting me. Her heart ached painfully in her breast, and she suppressed a growing scream, concealing her lips in her hands. She ignored the throbbing pain in her temple, which blurred her vision, and returned to the past she was afraid of.   
— Julio is okay?   
He was struck by this calm voice, full of subtlety and warmth. The intrusive voice in her head kept repeating to her, to stop tearing with uncertainty, but the fear that paralyzed her was stronger. She saw through a foggy look, how the candle was again put aside on a nearby shelf with plates and a collection of books, lit by the glow of the flashlight coming out of the unlocked cell, then she saw his face. He leaned over her with a sad face, trying to find her gaze in the dark.   
She spoke through her throat.  
— Nothing — she stammered, as if any suffering was unknown to her now.  
— I should not have frightened you so much — said the contrite man — Forgive me.  
He extended his hand to her, uncertainly put his slim fingers on top of his hand, letting himself rise from the uncomfortable floor. She adjusted her slanted nightgown as the robe fell loosely at her sides. She stood in rather scant underwear with an open satin that enveloped her shoulders. She should feel self-conscious, but she did not feel it. She knew well that he had already seen her in scant clothing when on summer holidays they went to the beach and she was basking on the golden sand in her favorite bathing suit.  
— I have no reason to be angry, but this entrance you had — she laughed, transforming the whole event into a joke.  
— To the truth, excellent — turned off the light in his phone, and they only saw themselves through the faint ray of candle burning on the shelf - you can not sleep.  
She muttered quietly, something like the agreement, sighing softly.  
— How's your head?  
From all the confusion, she forgot that she had had a rather severe encounter with the wooden wing of her room before, but it was not so annoying, she felt only a slight throbbing pain in her temple. People cope with worse injuries.  
— Pretty well — she said, grabbing the scarfs of the housecoat, wrapping itself around the fabric so that after a while she would tie her blue bow bandage around her waist. — Do not even try to apologize again — she warned him.  
Michael laughed softly, causing teenagers to laugh. Standing in the aisle and not knowing what to do, they felt the awkward situation for the first time. The teenager moved uneasily, having no idea what gesture to make towards her friend, and he was thinking how to color her hours spent under the cover of darkness, when a storm raged behind the curtained windows of the villa.  
They decided to sit on the couch next to the bed, but they did not stay there long when Julia pulled him onto the soft mattress. She leaned against the pile of pillows, pulling him closer to him, resting comfortably on her stomach, which gave her a perfect view of her face, bathed in darkness.  
— What are you going to do for the rest of the night? — she asked.  
They both knew that they would not be able to sleep anymore, they clashed each other to bring the king of dreams to their place, but in vain, when the sleepy mire did not come, and they were bored lying in their beds with some hope that they might find themselves in a few minutes.  
— We will play twenty questions — he suggested a youthful game.  
— You seriously did not have other suggestions? — She said, raising her eyebrow.  
— Do not waste it — he said, and then fell into a pensive thought — A cliché first. Your middle name?   
She dropped her startled look at him as if she did not understand the question when she noticed a gentle smile on his lips. She decided that Chester could not tell him much about it, as if he wanted everyone to know her, and did not suggest the singer's stories.  
— Jessica. Favorite subject in high school times?  
— Art, ordinary is probably literature.  
Asking each other more and more of a question, they did not see the time passing by for them to have a good time. The sky began to clear, and that was not the reason for the storm that was still standing outside the windows, but the morning was rising, but they did not care much when, through ordinary questions, they began to get to know each other. At last they reached one of the penultimate questions Shinoda was to ask.  
— The name of your previous boyfriend?  
She froze, unconsciously, she slipped her fingers into his long strands of hair, gently combing them. She did not like the memories of her previous sympathies, but quickly recovered, avoiding uncomfortable questions. She repeated her movements, clearing her throat.  
— Clark and Justin — she muttered grimly — My turn — she wondered for a moment what question to ask him, until there was a rather irrational question in her mind, but the willingness to do the task was enormous.  
—Since the moment you met me, did you ever think about kissing me? — she did not intend to specify her statement, because she was well aware that she would understand what she meant.  
She saw him stunned, moved uneasily, but he stubbornly tried to play unemotional, because what was he to answer? He could lie and hide the truth from her or admit to one of his weaknesses. He treated her as a friend, but with time he began to look at her as someone who is not defined under the word "friendship", but he stubbornly hid it as against others and himself. However, he decided to be honest with her.  
— Yes — he answered quietly, suppressing his lust in his breast, grabbing her in his arms and sinking into her raspberry lips.  
The girl gave him a slightly surprised look, but she did not answer. They returned to the game again when the clock indicated the fifth morning, and the storm gave way. Brass clouds hung over the city, creating a depressing gray cloak, from which streams of water were still pouring out.  
Bored with asking myself questions, they were not aware when weary people fell asleep. Julia dropped to the pile of pillows, and her hand slid off the cascade of his hair on the exposed cheek. The musician slept on his stomach, tucked into her chest, his hands wrapped around her waist, as if it did not bother her. They were with them, they did not care about anything, even the cyclone approaching the city.

She opened her slightly tired eyelids, hearing the sound of knocking the crowns of trees by the window shutters. Closed blinds let only single streams of wounded glow. She looked around her bedroom, staring. Nothing caught her eyes that could have disturbed her, then she looked at the man sleeping on her stomach, this time he did not wake up early, leaving her alone. She was well aware that when this happened the last time, he would leave her alone so that she would not feel uncomfortable when she woke up by the side of a stranger. However, the longer it lasted, she began to like it and did not want to run away in panic. She relished this pleasant touch, and through the mind went a rather selfish thought that she wanted such moments more. Her heart was thirsty for feeling, she finally wanted to sink into this subtle delight of lust for the one she had been deprived of in her previous relationships. She wanted to love someone in the end, but everything went against her when she felt more waves of fuss as she related to the wrong guys. She was not lucky or fate did not want her to fall in love with someone with whom she had no prospects, as if he would give her a try or wait the period, and when the right moment came, she would allow herself to have real love. However, how long could she wait? Her girlfriends were happily connected, and she was still alone. She learned, however, during these years of loneliness of patience and knew that she must wait for her turn, not enforcing anything in her life.  
She remembered suddenly the thirteen-year-old girl, holding in her hand the first record she had bought, when she could dedicate her hard-earned money to this one album, which was to be her pass to happiness, somehow she was, escaped from cruel reality. Her dark thoughts were interrupted by a quiet whisper, she again looked at Michael, who was still dreaming. She could see a pleasant smile spreading on his lips, he even cuddled up to her, which pleased her immensely. She did not even want to get up, it was too pleasant. She fell on the soft down of pillows, closing her eyes gently.  
In a blissful silence, she was not conscious when she began to return to the land of eternal dreams, but after a while Mike felt herself moving away from her, she was about to tell him to stay, but his soft voice came to her ears.  
— You have no idea how much you mean to me—she heard his deep whisper but concealing an indefinable pain behind — You became my sense of life.  
Uncertainly, she opened her eyelids, noticing even the mesmerizing dark gaze of her friend's eyes. She watched him make him embarrassed, but he did not show it stubbornly. He gave her a gentle smile, as if nothing had happened before, and his confession was just her dreaming omen.  
— Have you had enough sleep? — he asked.  
— Exceptionally yes — she did not intend to lie, because her words were true, despite only four hours of dreams she felt extremely rested, she was ready to face another day with new energy. Her thought flashed through her that she would welcome every morning, she would suppress it inside her mind. They were absurd thoughts that she could not afford.

— You're cheating! — She shouted, tearing the card from his hand.  
They sat in the living room, waiting for the worst moment of today, the passing of the hurricane. They made themselves a quick breakfast, then bored lay down in the living room, and having nothing interesting to do, they decided to compete with each other again. This came at a moment when Julia noticed the wrong move of a friend who keeps trying to hide it.  
— You can not cheat in this game! — He defended himself, reaching for a saved piece of paper, picking it up from the palm of an outraged teenager.  
— Indeed, and a moment ago what it was — thundered — We agreed to a clean game, not scams — again she wanted to get to the man's card, threw quite violently on him, wanting to take away his property, but did not foresee certain events. She jumped over the glass table, but lost her balance under the influence of a violent movement, she did not manage to stand on her feet, she fell. She collided with his chest, which from the side could look like a deliberate act, just to get closer to the musician.  
He dropped a written card from his hands that flew to the floor. He took her gently by the shoulders, helping her up, but she was still sitting on his lap. She rested her hands on his shoulders, working in some kind of amok, staring at her eyes with tenderness, gently running her fingertips over his exposed neck, then folding her hands together, unconsciously leaning against his forehead, a slight smile wandering at the corners of her mouth. She felt his arms on her waist that did not bother her when she felt her fingers tighten on her sides, bringing her closer to her body.  
They did not need words to distinguish what is inside their hearts, as if they saw in themselves the person sought for years, the most important one for whom they are able to do anything. There was no difference in the age of how they were divided, as if it would ever be a hindrance, but she always said it. Age is only a number, the interior of a human being is much more important. Her breath caught in her throat, she watched him enchanted as he slowly approached her, as if they were both aware of what would happen at the moment, were they prepared for it? Nobody is ever ready for that.  
Suddenly the air was ripped by a huge roar, she shuddered scared as her senses suddenly became deaf. There was another crack, and she froze at him with her whole body, she buried her face in his collarbone, listening to the real wilderness in the distance. She trembled when she heard such a violent noise of the wind that he broke everything that fell under his hands. He did not care about anything, he was guided by the idea of destroying everything he was going to get. At this point, she thanked Chester for coming up with the idea that seemed so absurd to her. She tried to cover up all the unwanted sounds, but it was inevitable. She clenched her fingers on the friend's shirt, trying to control the rubbing body, as if she had stopped listening to her in a moment. She felt shame drowning in her breast that she could dominate the weather and I would feel fear, which was almost paralyzing, did not allow her to move freely.  
Mike sat in the chair, gently stroking her, trying to calm down somehow, but he knew that he would not be able to take her thoughts for long when the city was attacked by the cyclone announced for two weeks. There was no illusion of hope that he would go the other way, he stubbornly rushed along his designated path, ignoring the fear of the inhabitants of sunny Los Angeles.  
— A goddamn hurricane — he heard her growl in discontent.  
He sighed deeply admitting her reasons, he did not like it either. However, he could not hide his satisfaction, which suddenly overwhelmed him, and he did not fully understand why, he did not even think about it, but let it last for a moment.  
— We can not do anything about it," he whispered softy — We have to survive.  
— There is still an earthquake - she whispered sarcastically in her voice — People who live in countries without such anomalies are lucky — she added, tilting her head gently, inhaling the mild scent of men's perfumes.  
She wanted to move away, suddenly came back to her healthy eyelid, who told her to leave this man, but he did not allow it, it was too good to give up, she felt safe in his arms, now she just wanted to feel protected by someone .

Hurricane Iris was falling into oblivion and the inhabitants of the metropolis could estimate the losses after the treacherous element. The employees of the power plant or water supply were busy to provide the needed media to the Californians, but they encountered minor problems with broken electrical cables and leakage of pipes in several places, the lucky ones were those who bought the power generator, now they could use them safely.  
She placed plates filled with aromatic soup on a dark table top. Early in the morning, despite her difficulties, she managed to get in touch with her brother, she wrote to him that everything was good and that he would not worry. When she went outside to assess whether something was destroyed, she felt relieved when the house was not damaged and only the garden, which was completely destroyed, suffered, many branches were scattered on the ground and the trees were not as beautiful as before the cyclone. She knew that he would have to be a professional, she did not have a hand to plant, even ordinary flowers withered within a few days. It was not suitable for garden work.  
— Mike! — she called a friend who disappeared in the garage checking something near the car.  
She opened the door to the room, trying to find him, and then the open mask of the vehicle caught her eye. She descended the two-step stairs, standing on gray tiles. Unnoticed, she approached the man at work, stood at the side of the car, leaning against the edge of the red sheet.  
— Something happened? — she asked as she watched as a cork was spinning.  
She was completely unaware of the mechanics of the cars, even though she had a driving license, she only knew the construction of the engine and the things that would be necessary for a potential accident or sudden stopping of the car, the construction of the rest of the devices or applications was unknown. She could not boast of knowledge about them.  
— Oil was an exchange — he replied, wiping his dirty hands on some unused towel.  
— I've prepared a soup, eat better before it cools down.  
She did not have to persuade him long, put the rag held in her hand on the toolbox, keeping her blunt.

In the evening, they sat in a light-flooded living room, talking about irrelevant topics. They forgot about an earlier event that almost led them to kiss. Julia was lounging on the couch, stroking Jay lying in front of her.  
Two quadrupeds, badly endured a passing hurricane, they were still hiding under the beds or finding other hiding places to just wait outside the reigning atmosphere. They did not manage to calm them down, and when Anika again hid in her wardrobe, she let her stay there as if the bitch finally found a quiet place. She did not intend to pull her out and she did not even try.  
— Finally the end of this hell — she sighed, catching Mike's tired look.  
Shinoda muttered something in response, trying to focus on the book he read, but he could not. The letters escaped his gaze, and the sentences merged together. He did not know why he felt so tired, he did not see when his eyes closed up and the novel he read fell out of his hand.  
Julia looked up when she heard the sound of falling reading on the wooden parquet. She smiled gently, rising from the couch. She clung to the dresser, taking out the last cabinet from the warm blanket. She walked slowly to the sleeping musician. She covered him with down stuff, careful not to wake him up. She picked up the book he was reading, looking at the last paragraphs he read. She traced the text with her eyes and the color of the burgundy enveloped her cheeks. She was not at all surprised by the novels he read, she herself had two similar readings in her corner, but she did not mention it to anyone.  
She put the book down on the glass top.  
—You will find the one you are looking for — the last words escaped her lips.  
She did not know much about his love zone, but she did not want to be intrusive. Was it interesting? The answer was a bit strange, but no. She knew of his unsuccessful marriage to Taylor, she knew the reason for their divorce, but she did not know the details and called to wait for her to tell her. They still had many secrets, but there was no time to reveal them.

She watched as the gardener cleaned up the ruined garden, and the unseen sun returned to the city. She sat on the terrace, basking in the sunlight. Tomorrow, they are opening school again, she wanted to take advantage of the last moments of her freedom. Mike early in the morning received a phone call from the boys to come to the studio. Apparently they had an important conversation with their producer who insisted on a quick meeting. She at that time called her gardener to take care of the dying plant in their home sanctuary, she did not have to persuade her for long, she agreed almost immediately.  
— I'm looking for you in the whole apartment — she raised her head at the sound of Michael's voice.  
He stood in the passage to the terrace in his favorite black and white checkered shirt and in black fitted trousers and ordinary sneakers. He combed his hair back, putting it on the gel, which was amazing. She was intriguing more and she could not deny it.  
— You found me — she said, still keeping her eyes on.  
She could not resist the temptation to look at him again, she always liked to see him in that bright shirt, which could not be missed by the musician. Sometimes she had the feeling that she was putting her on purpose to make her angry, but he really liked to feel her intense look at herself. He behaved a bit selfishly wishing, focusing her whole attention on himself, which was bad news, that he wanted to see in her gaze that misty glow or distant gaze. He could not help feeling that such a beautiful girl was paying attention to him. Julia was also extremely mature for her age, previous life experiences showed her the fate of being able to be perverse, sometimes giving poisoned cake. She had baggage behind her, who had not experienced her age.  
— Could you not show me your eyes in this shirt! — a voice of Julia, who was slightly embarrassed, tore it from his thoughts.  
He was aware that he would not fulfill her request, he liked the feeling of someone's interest too much and not in the matter of an ordinary paldy relationship.  
— You did not like a red shirt, now you will not fit this — he laughed.  
— Get lost — she murmured, turning her eyes away from him.  
He sighed quietly, approached the couch on which she basked, sitting on its edge.  
— Maybe you can talk to me for a walk.  
She thought for a moment, then spoke in a calm voice.  
— Well.  
They left the apartment moments later, a few paces ahead of them marched Jay and Anika, the ends of their leash held Shinoda.  
They walked the cobbled streets of the city, passing along the way many passers-by, elderly people who went for an afternoon walk, returning from work people or youth, who enjoyed the last day off when they were forced to return to school reality. They talked about unimportant subjects by walking through her favorite park. Suddenly, they passed a friend of her, a man holding his several-month-old child, with a twenty-year-old blonde standing at his side, beaming at the little girl in the arms of her father apparently.  
She stopped abruptly when she looked at the face of a man who was familiar with her and at the same time so hated. He clearly recognized her too, because he smiled mockingly even more by hugging the newborn, as if deliberately doing it to make her sad.  
— Dirty muck — she mocked through her clenched teeth.  
She felt Michael's hand on her shoulder, he wanted to pull her away, seeing what was going on. He had the unquestionable honor of meeting Father Chester and Julia and met him several times. Perhaps it was strange, he could have mistaken him for some strange guy, but his friend was very similar to John. They did not even differ in the color of their eyes.  
— Julia is not worth it, come on! — He insisted, trying to convince her to continue walking, but she stood like a dumb staring with envious eyes at the man in front of her.  
— You do not have to call me that kidding — he said finally, putting the girl back in the pram, then his eyes fell on Shinoda, who was standing beside her. "I see that the daughter got into her mother, the same whores.  
— He spoke broken... — before she could finish, when there was great pain on her cheeks, tears stood in her eyes, and she suddenly felt like a castle being removed from under her feet. She fell, if not for the quick reaction of the musician who held her in the waist, not letting him meet with the ground.  
— Well done, you went down to the very bottom of the whore, you're tearing the guys out for the coffers — they said with contempt for the brunette, who was holding back with all his strength not to hit his best friend's father standing in front of him. He had his dignity — You could have chosen someone better, and not the sucker who considers himself my son's friend — he whispered.  
He could not stand it, he let Julie out of her embrace, which was still dangerous. He swung his fist in a moment to face his face. John staggered backward, holding his bloody nose, his partner squealing, then running up to him, asking frantically whether he had done anything.  
He did not intend to bother with some stupid suggestions, he left his lovers on a gravel path and walked over to a lonely teen who still clung to a sore place. He gave up on walking, he had to take care of her black eye. He knew very well about his father's last meeting with his daughter, which did not end well, but rather another brawl, but something broke in him when Elder Bennington began to challenge an eighteen-year-old from the worst. He saw clearly his hostile attitude. She was not guilty of anything and treated her worse than a lady earning in the oldest profession of the world.  
They entered the apartment, and he let the dogs out of the leash, allowing them to run freely. He led Julie to the living room, still sitting on the couch, she was still shaky after the recent meeting, the red eye began to slowly swell and the words of her father "whore" were painfully reflected in her mind. She could not stop the suppressed sobbing, individual tears sliding down her pale cheeks, dying in her blouse. Through a blurry look, she saw Michael crouching in front of her, who was holding an ice pack in his hand. Reluctantly, she reached for it, putting it to her eyelid. Her body was still shaking with painful crying, she did not know what to do. In one moment it was filed. A tablet with a hideous inscription was assigned to her. She saw Mike rise from the ground, she was sure he would leave her and leave her, maybe he would defend her, but what if she felt like she had a prostitute written on her forehead. And he will not want to know her anymore, but he did something that initially surprised her, embraced her in the waist, closing her in a secure hug, repeating quietly that she would not think about it and even try to think about herself in this nasty way. She appreciated his support and willingness to calm her down to some extent. She did not say a word, she was hugged in his arms and the mental pain was slowly weak.


	27. TOM 1— REBEL : 26 — OUR HEART IS OUR GUDE

She crossed the glass door of the high school, holding under her arm her favorite board. She pushed her way through the crowd of students who were watching some ads on the school board. They probably hung up information whether they are resuming football games or not. She saw a few girls from the April retreat and Willow, who did not notice her entering the building. After a small confusion, she reached her locker, avoiding her rival's friends. She did not want the first minutes spent in high school to engage in meaningless quarrels with the clones of this queen of drama, considering herself a lady of the school. She pushed a skateboard into the locker when she heard loud laughter. She did not pay any attention to it, pulling out the vibrating phone in her pocket. She glanced at the display, who was getting to her earlier that morning, a gentle smile filling her mouth when she saw the photo of her best friend. She passed the screen to answer the call. Holding the phone with her arm, she hung the bag with the logo of one of her favorite bands on the hook.  
— Hello, baby, are you at school? — Selena shouted.  
She stopped her assault of joy, despite several weeks of acquaintance with Adams and her other friends, she still could not come to terms with the thought that she was not a black horse at school and had other pupils friends or good friends it still seemed unreal to her but it was real. She could not or could not address girls in such a way, how often they talked to her, the most important it did not bother her. They decided that it needed more time to adapt to new circumstances.  
— Yes, Sel, I'm at my locker — she explained, pulling a note book from the shelf, inserting it between the books. She was surprised by the rather unnatural voice of a brunette, something must have happened. It felt like trouble was starting.  
— You better come soon. We are under the English class — she said in a hurry, revealing the place where she was — You will not be satisfied.  
— Tell me one thing. April?  
She heard her murmur in answer, slammed the door of her lock with a bang, exchanging a boy with glasses and a pile of books in his arms. She made a quick apology when he hurried him in a hurry, gave her a disgusted look but said nothing.  
Hurriedly rushed to the English class, fearing the worst. From the moment Crystal releases the post on the social networking site, there is an intense war between them, he still thinks how to humiliate his rival, they are only victorious, as Emily said, there is no concept of losing side, because both do not tolerate this second place in this competition. She knew that this childish behavior should talk seriously with the cheerleading captain, but she refused every attempt to calmly agree, so she was left with only a defense or a potential attack not to get mixed up with mud.  
She ran out the corner of the corridor, in the distance noticing a group of her friends, she quickened her pace. She stood at Nathan's side, who was looking at the disgusted side of the paper he held by his sympathy.  
— What's happening? — she asked them to get their attention.  
The girl threw a piece of paper at her, looked at her, and in her eyes she saw mixed frustration and anger. Although Julia had only reached their parcel a few weeks earlier, they had become intimate with her and had April's fault that she had slandered her in such a nasty way, even without knowing her. It pleased her to ruin the life of the young Bennington. She did not predict, however, that the girl would put her down, which made her intrigue be more thought-out. Uncertainly looked at the printed content of the document, she watched in amazement at the image re-editing and the signature under it.

Do not be fooled by this friendship is just a show. You all consider them good friends, you do not know their secrets. Here's the proof of what the two really have in common, he gives him money! Remember, Julia Bennington is a rag.

She broke in half a sheet of paper, her cheeks red with anger, and she tossed the torn paper-strains against the nearby wall, muttering underneath the salvo of curses and insults.  
She was again challenged with whores, it was not a pleasant feeling at all. She felt the bitterness that melted over her heart as she nervously threw offensive epithets toward her rival. She knew well that Crystal was capable of everything, it was a matter of time until something so bad came up. She was boiling with rage when she heard her friends, trying to calm her down, and a memory of yesterday's afternoon flowed into her mind when she was razed to the level of a prostitute by her own father. She was abused in many ways, she was used to it, but nobody called her from the ladies working in public homes. She could barely restrain the tears of bittern that came to her eyes. She told herself that no one would be able to break her and survive all the obstacles that would set her down. However, the last two days contradicted these words. She kept telling herself that she would not fall, that she would deal with it, she would feel that she was falling out of strength and did not want this fight. He does not want to try, but he does it. He is waging war with himself because he is aware that he has someone to do this daily struggle for, but now it has started to waver.  
Without looking at her friends, she turned on her heels and rushed in search of her school enemy, she heard Selena's screams behind her, let her go, but she was self-conscious. Looking around for those blond shags, she knocked off more students who started yelling at her to be careful, but she did not catch her attention.  
She found her with the retinue of her closest friends and her boyfriend. She pushed the nearest standing girl, not even paying attention to their indignant tone and waves of insults. She came to Crystal, who kissed her partner best. Furious, she grabbed her behind her tied blond hair, pulled her out of the footballer's grasp, dragging her behind her, ignoring the screaming girl and her loud pretensions. She dragged her into one of the hardly visible places. She wanted to strike her, but she barely refrained from taking justice herself. She knew that she would have a lot of trouble and she would avoid it.  
— You will not play with me like this — she began to scream, dangerously approaching the face of a frightened girl. She saw that she was trying to hide the anxiety in her breast, but she saw the fear in her dark gaze. Not every day he sees such an enraged rival —You could have challenged me in different ways, but this poster has crossed the limits — Julia shouted angrily — You have an hour to get all of them and cancel each rumor otherwise your boyfriend will find out what you are doing after school with the school captain basketball team. Choose!  
— You dare not do it — she hissed.  
— Do you? — She clasped her hands on her breasts, looking at her with narrowed eyelids — You say he bluffs, well, since you do not cancel it, the whole school will learn about your secret affair — She took out the phone from her pocket where she had several compromising photos of the girl — Where to put it on the school, Facebook or MySpace page? — she wondered, unlocking the phone, looking at the folder with social networks where she was logged in — I know! You do not think that Andy's interested in a nice chat with a friend — she entered into a conversation with her rival's boyfriend, where there was not too much of the message, just ordinary greetings, she chose a picture that interested her, after a while she appeared in the message view with colorful signature — Fun your girlfriend ", but it has not been sent — One click and your" beloved "will find out about your excesses — she said, showing her phone with a chat.  
She saw herself as a blonde, struggling with herself, not wanting to give in to her little blackmail, analyzed all the pros and cons after a while, sighed resigned, and her arms fell freely on her sides. She hung her head with disgust on her face.  
— Okay, I'll do it, but you will not send him this! — she warned her.  
Despite her casual romance, she wanted her sympathy and did not want to lose her boyfriend. She knew him until the beginning of high school and despite the fact that in the elite of populars, relationships are often shown, she loved Andy, she could not lose him. If he found out about her jumps to the side, he would probably have left her, and she could not let it happen.  
— You have an hour! — she reserved.  
She turned away, no longer looking at the confused blonde, hurrying into the class of her tutor in a hurry. She reached her even with the bell when Professor Smith let the students into the room. He gave her a friendly smile, letting the student in and closing the entrance behind her. She sat in her pew, behind Selena who sat in front of her and some other students. She focused on the morning discussion with a man who liked to entertain students with a joke or a funny situation from his private life. He conquered his pupils' liking, that she managed to interest them in a poem or reading, and transform a certain complex expression into expressions of young people. Boring to read in a rather moody, however, when the novel required it was serious. It was a pleasure for the students to attend his classes, he did not feel the pressure on it like in mathematics.  
They lasted an hour of classes in which they discussed a recent novel she thought was terribly boring, she remembered that evening when Mike decided to read a part of the book, but after a long moment he said that she was right and the book is not really so interesting, after which he threw her over her, more interested to get her a little teased.  
She suppressed a yawn leaning on the bench as the teacher talked about the most boring piece of the book when she noticed a bent sheet of paper landing on her desk. She straightened up, looking around who had thrown it to her then she saw a sitting bench on, Alex who was showing her to open it and read it.  
She looked at the crumpled sheet of paper, unfolded it, and in her eyes appeared the characteristic spelling style of her friend who was arranging a short message.

Did you get?

She grabbed the pen dropped under a pen and wrote to a friend:  
Yes. The little blackmailer acted.  
At the end of her speech, she drew a smiling face with a wink. She folded the paper into smaller pieces and then sent it imperceptibly to the blonde, for her happiness because the educator was turned towards the blackboard.  
There were still a few messages exchanged when the bell rang for a break.  
She left the high school walls a few minutes before three in the afternoon. She got into a short conversation with friends who said that they would go to a youth club this evening, initially she was not eager for this meeting, but after persuading the girls she gave them an affirmative answer. She said good-bye to them, heading for the recording studio. She promised the boys that he would fall after school. She did not intend to mention anything about the morning fight with her rival, only Mike had some awareness that the rifles competed with each other, but he was not deep into the subject. She reached Warner Bros at about half an hour later, entered the building, greeted the receptionist who announced that the team was expecting her. The woman only nodded and gave her a pass which after another visit in the studio was made for her to move around the building as a family member.  
She hung a leash on her neck, going to the guilty schoolboy and squeezing one of the buttons that led to the upper floor. The door opened in front of her and she entered a friend of the dark corridor. While walking in a dark rug, she watched the gold or silver plate hung on the walls, despite the fact that she had seen them many times she always admired them, especially those with the signature of Linkin Park.  
She reached the brass door, pressed the handle, pushing it inside. She was attacked by a wave of music when she stood in a small vestibule. She made her way through the next door, standing in a windowless room, lit by many syphilis lamps, and a large part was occupied by a huge console and amplifiers opposite.  
— Rob, stop smoking yourself and play me — she smiled when it came to Michael's de-mimetic voice.  
The man sat with the computer turned on and a familiar music program was displayed on the screen, but he did not focus his eyes on it, pressing one of the buttons, admonishing his friend again.  
— Mike, I'm playing it in the morning, you'd give me peace the last record was good — came the somewhat irritated voice of the drummer.  
— It still does not suit me. Good five minutes break — he sighed resignedly — Hi young — he looked up at her, sending her a gentle smile.  
— Julia!  
She did not know what was going on for the next minute when she was in the arms of Brad, who in the blink of an eye stood at his stepping sister, kidnapping her in his arms.  
— It's nice to see you, Brad — she spat out the teenager, barely freeing himself from his strong arms.  
— Tell me how you are, I have not seen you since... — he said hurriedly.  
— Yesterday — she said with a laugh.  
Delson waved a dismissive hand, grabbed her wrist, and led her to the sofa beds hidden behind the electronic equipment, where the rest of the group spread out. She greeted them, squeezing between Joe and Dave. Of course, they were not themselves, if they did not start to ask her about some school gossip, but she must have disappointed them that nothing interesting happened.  
Sitting with them in the studio, she was just joking with Rob and Dave when the sound of the incoming notification reached her. She took the smartphone out of her pocket, reading the incoming message from her friend's screen:

We see you in an hour next to the school in an hour.  
Selena.

She completely forgot about this evening with her friends. She wanted to put a good head on her head, for her prudence. She grabbed the bag on the ground in a hurry, feeling the surprised looks of the band members.  
— Excuse me, but I have an appointment — she shouted in a hurry, then walked over to Shinoda — Mike, borrow the keys from the car?"  
She knew that she would not be able to get home on time, get ready and change clothes to more outfits. If she could get through, she would be late, and Ling did not like to wait long, which was inconvenient.  
— Okay, but you hang out for this supper — He took a set of car keys from his bag, throwing a teenager.  
— Everything for you. Thanks — she said quickly, hurrying toward the door, ignoring the excited whispers of her friends.  
She ran out of the building, finding music in the car park. She got into the vehicle, throwing the bag into the passenger seat and piling the board. She lit the engine, ignoring the leather belts, after a while turning into street traffic. She reached the apartment fifteen minutes later, parked the vehicle on a paved path to the garage, grabbing the bag and finding keys from the apartment.  
She went into the chilled apartment, throwing all unnecessary things aside and rushing upstairs. Jumping over two steps, she reached a bright corridor and stormed into her room. She found on one of the hangers some dress and matching leather jacket with a flower sewn over her chest and rushed to the bathroom to get ready. She left the room, dressed in a pink dress with black ornaments and a dark bedspread, did not bother with make-up, only improved the flowing line, and tied her hair into a sophisticated braid. With bare feet she came to her bedroom in search of shoes and a clutch bag. She grabbed a pair of built-up stilettos that exposed only the toes. She sat on the edge of the couch, putting on her high heels, when her phone again made itself known. She grabbed the white hand device, pressing on the text message she received.

We are waiting for you.  
Alex

Pushing the second shoe with little difficulty, she wrote back to the blonde that it would be up to ten minutes. She grabbed the bag she had left on her bed, slipping her smartphone and wallet with documents and payment card into it, and left her kingdom, going down the wooden stairs. The sound of tapping her heels rose up in the quietly mournful home, waking up the two quadrupeds who had cut off the southern nap. They looked around for noise, then they spotted their lady, ran to them and she just stroked their heads, saying she was leaving. She grabbed the keys dropped on the dresser, leaving the house.  
— If he does not show up in two minutes, we go without her! — She heard Emily's unhappy voice away.  
Avoiding stumbling on such high shoes, she stood slightly out of breath at a group of her colleagues, whom William and several other friends of their year joined. She looked at her friends, everyone dressed in some sort of starting quiet, beautiful sex put on summer dresses, and their partners looked pretty good in matching pants and shirts. The group was dominated by couples in love, as she could see only her and Wilson did not have their second half. She had heard that the boy had left his long-time girlfriend because she was possessive and what she did not like was her constant control and paranoia that she betrayed her with every teenager she talks to. She had recently quarreled over his intimate relationship with the new student, she did not like how she had approached her and in such a short time they were already good friends. He had had enough of this toxic relationship after another row, he withdrew their long-term relationship with her, to the disappointment of his sympathy.  
They finally reached the building where the club was located, and at the same time a cafe for young people. The restaurant was popular with young people who loved to spend time in it as day and night. The tenement house was adapted to play under the cover of darkness and chatter on soft armchairs and sip of subsequent portions of caffeine.  
She knew a similar place in Phoenix, she was not a frequent guest, but from time to time she came there because they served one of the better coffees she drank so far, now she definitely preferred this drink prepared by her brother, which she constantly told him.  
They checked the security guard and went through the control gate, which she had to check if they were bringing in any dangerous things, their fairly large group went through without any major problems. They entered the room, bathed in LED lamps. Parquet was already full of dancing couples, on which colorful streams of light reflected. She looked a little to the side, where several tables were arranged, on which red lanterns were placed, from which a delicate flame filtered. The room might have seemed huge, but it was an illusion, despite its not very large dimensions there were many groups of teenagers who decided to rest on a Friday evening from school reality.  
They chose a double table in the corner of the room to accommodate all their company. The boys ordered them to sit down with their friends or girlfriends, declaring that they would bring them drinks. They ordered their favorite colorful drinks, and Selena began telling them the situation that happened to her today with her older sister, who came to the family, because she got free at the university. She had not seen her relatives long ago and wanted to use this time to spend a few days with her family and friends from her youth.  
— A nasty monkey, she buried all materials for me — she said when she noticed the approaching colleagues with their orders. Will and Brandon arranged the beverage trays on the table, Adams' boy squeezed between the legs of the others, sitting down next to his sympathy. Will took the vacant seat next to the young Bennington, handing it to her, ordered a mojito, thanked him with a nod, taking his drink from the tubes. She took a sip, leaning against the couch, going into discussions with Charlotte and Merry, who, bored, talking to their boys about a video game, raised the subject of the latest gossip at school. When they finished the first alcoholic drinks, the girls pulled their boys on the dance floor, who reluctantly gave in to their request, leaving Will and Julie at the table.  
— I heard you gave April again — the footballer said, leaning nonchalantly against the armrest of the dark piece of furniture.  
— She begged herself— she said, finishing her drink.  
She put the glass down on the counter, then looked over her shoulder at her friend.  
— She could not invent this nonsense about us — she replied with such a tone, as if today's action in the morning long gone into oblivion — Really how can be such a moron — she muttered, again dropping her eyes on the lantern standing on the table.  
— You know she was always like that. She liked to dominate even in primary school — he explained, leaning slightly to lean his hands on the table top of the wooden table — I can say that she was cool, because I lived next to her and I mate with her, but you know what makes popularity with such kids.  
— Unfortunately I know — she sighed, she jerked her head when his last words reached her - You were friends with her?  
The boy lowered his gaze to be stuck in his hands, his question mixed up clearly, but he did not remain pensive for a long time.  
— Yes, when we were children, until her palm did not reflect until the end, and she began to consider herself a great lady — he murmured sarcastically.  
There was a moment of awkward quiet, which was quickly interrupted by the boy.  
— Come dance — he rose from the soft couch, reaching out his hand.  
He looked uncertainly at his outstretched hand, then looked up at him, smiled pleasantly, encouraging him to get up. She grabbed his hand and he easily helped her up, led her to the dance floor, where a lot of couples clung to each other danced, when a calm melody resounded around the room. She felt her embrace her waist and her fingers with her own hand. She let herself be led into such melancholic music. The song reached the beginning of the second verse, when the boy unexpectedly turned her around his own axis, did not even realize when his hands were on her waist, and she embraced him tenderly in the back of her neck. They were swinging to the rhythm of a calming melody that echoed through the walls of the darkened room.  
It was strange, but despite the fact that it was only a friendly relationship with Will, she was not disturbed by her closeness, she did not feel at all restless or uncomfortable and even relaxed in his arms. She moved away from the boy when the song came to an end, looking him in the eyes in which she saw a strange feeling, but she was not entirely sure whether he saw reality in his gaze of lust or love. She could not think about it anymore, when the song changed to a fairly ending, forcing all the couples to live movements, not a slow dance in their arms.  
Bored with a quiet melody, she walked along the sidewalk, one of the luxury districts of Los Angeles, refusing to let her go home, she did not want anyone but Selena and Aleksnadra to know her sweet secret, so far she preferred to keep it secret. She came to the door of the villa, when she had hit five in the morning on the clock. The party was a bit stretched out, when the party in the club was over, they decided that they would go to the beaches, where they drank about three wines for the whole group, fooling around and laughing like abnormal people. She took out a bunch of keys with difficulty, with little difficulty she found her way to the tiny hole, removing the wooden wing.  
She closed the front door with a soft click, did not even realize how the purse and keys had fallen to the floor, she did not take over with the untidy mess, she tried to get into her room, which was difficult because the image was blurring before her eyes. If she managed to deflect the scarecrows, she saw everything twice, which made her laugh. She was not aware of how she reached the living room, wanting to walk on the lighted stairs, she mistook directions, so she fell into the couch with impetus, tumbled over the backrest, landing on soft cushions, which were her cushions.  
— I do not think the stairs are so soft — she muttered in a drunken voice — No matter - she added in a tired voice, closing her eyes, falling into a deep sleep, not bothering with the photo of heels.  
Wearing a T-shirt, he walked down the hall. One thought still bothered him whether Julia came back from this meeting. He knew that it was Saturday and she could have longer to party, but he promised to keep an eye on her in the absence of a friend, and she did not let him know from yesterday. He became more and more concerned about her. He turned to the slightly open door of the teenager's room, hoping that he would find her there, but as soon as he looked around her little realm he could not see her anywhere. He sighed quietly, taking the phone out of his pants pocket. Unlocked the screen, going into contacts to call her, going down the stairs he was about to press the green receiver when he saw a rather funny view from above.  
The teenager lay in a rather strange position on the sofa in a dress from last night, and there was quiet snoring in his ear. On her feet she still had black shoes that were lying on the back of a light sofa, she pressed her face against one of the pillows she had hugged against her, muttering softly in her sleep.  
He descended carefully on the last steps, walked past the sofa, crouched next to the girl, the strands of her hair fell on her forehead, and there was no trace of the old haircut. He brushed the hair back from his face tenderly, staring at the lightly smiling teenager.  
— Meeting with friends — he muttered quietly recalling the girl's last words.  
He sighed quietly, straightening up. He carefully took her in his arms, careful not to wake her up, he climbed the steps of the villa heading for her room, opened the door wider, put her on the bed, taking off the high boots on the occasion. He only covered her with a quilt and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

—My head — suppressed a fit of joy when the grim voice of an eighteen year old reached him — I would never drink again! She complained, passing him on the way to the kitchen.  
He followed her with the sound of closing and opening lockers, and he tried to focus on the match being watched on TV, but he could not maintain his seriousness when he heard the quiet curses spreading in the kitchen, burst into laughter.  
— Where are the goddam painkillers! Mike, I hear you are laughing, it's not funny at all! — She whimpered, appearing in the threshold of the living room with glasses of water and a bottle of headache powders. Then he could take a good look at her, dressed in ordinary shorts and a few sizes too big Chester's shirt. She sat in a cross—brace on one of the armchairs, sipping a swallowed tablet.  
— Believe me, he's very funny. Do you know how I would find you in the morning? — he asked, lowering the TV  
— No.  
— You slept over the sofa, mumbling something about the finished idiot — he tried not to burst out laughing again, but the confused expression of the teenager did not allow him to take a calm expression on his face.  
She opened her mouth to answer something, but she stumbled before the words left her lips.  
— I thought it was a staircase — she said after a moment of silence.  
She threw up the music with her eyes when she laughed out loud and heard her answer.  
— You say starsi — he repeated, raising an eyebrow — You must have mistaken the directions.  
— Sit quietly Shinoda — she murmured, crushed, causing the music to be another laughter.  
They spent the rest of the afternoon mimicking a friend who, every now and then, mumbled that she hated him or tried to silence him with poor results.


	28. TOM 1— REBEL : 27 —  YOU LET ME DISCOVER MY HEART IN FRONT OF YOU

She moved uneasily as her senses attacked the overwhelming silence of the artistic room, bored with a bored gaze behind an elderly woman. An ocher-green jacket with nausea, grayed hair strands, she stuck in a refined cane, and the red lipstick on her lips was supposed to make the students fear her subject.  
She loved art and expressing herself with crayons or brushes, pouring her ideas into sheets of paper, she had to get pleasure from it, she could not make her irritate and want to quit everything she loves. After each class with Professor Amelia, O'Brien felt like destroying all her work and throwing them out. Perhaps a woman knew her subject, but her approach to teaching students the techniques they were using was almost pathetic. What they will learn, repeating the same pattern in class. Sitting next to the easel, reproducing what she showed them, making sure that every detail would agree, when they managed to make a mistake, finally reduced the grade by half a degree.  
It made her irritate, because she had enough to sit on an uncomfortable chair and still paint the same, she had no room to show off. She could not develop her imagination, she would paint the subject and not speak.  
She put the brush on the board rather loudly where she mixed the colors of paints, making enough noise to draw attention to herself while interrupting the nasty atmosphere that prevailed in these lessons.  
— Get back to work — the teacher whispered, looking up over the book she was reading.  
Unmoved, she crossed her arms over her chest, measuring her eyes with her bright eyes, disgusted woman, closed her novel, putting her down on the desk.  
—You heard what I said. Get back to work — she repeated urgently.  
— No — she announced, evoking quite a stir in the classroom.  
Colleagues, who attended these classes with her, began to whisper among themselves, did not hear their words, but she was convinced that they were saying something that would cause trouble, but she did not care much about it.  
— Listen? — the teacher raised her voice — I think I heard!  
—Under no circumstances — she replied harshly — I will not continue to paint the same, it has not made me grow. Our creativity has a big impact on our paintings, I feel, however, that it is wasted on your classes — she raised herself from the chair without taking your eyes off the teacher.  
— You dont say? Who are you that you admonish me. You are still a child and you have no idea what it means to imagine and pour it on a sheet of paper.  
She felt anger over her. She would not let her be treated like that, she learned a little during those months when she had the opportunity to acquire more and more painting skills and she completely disagreed with her point of view.  
— You think so. I have no idea about creativity and the view of art through the eye of the artist. I have to get you out of error. She has been painting for six years, my former drawing teacher was very pleased to see that my work allowed me to play, to create something that went beyond the framework of teaching, and a good career for me. Apart from your classes, my good friend gives me private lessons, shows me techniques that I should learn in school or art studies. I do not know what art means! — she was furious — If you think that she will teach us something by making us paint still a dead nature, then the professor is wrong — she picked up her school bag from the ground — I do not intend to participate in these lessons. I do not want to waste here.  
She went through the halls proudly, stopped when she held her hand on the doorknob. She looked at the indignant woman from over her shoulder, and announced it to the forum of the whole class.  
— Goodbye, Professor.  
O'Brien did not even blink when her student left the room. She hated disobedience, she did not know young Bennington very well, but so far she was not a problem and the teenager was not conflicting, this time it was completely different. For the first time in her class, someone laughed to defy her and express her opinions. She taught all her pupils a rather harsh hand. She hated it when someone defied her. It was unusual. She scolded the whispering students, promising herself that she would talk to the tutor of this snot.  
She got out of the school walls, sat on one of the tribunes of the football field watching the training school representation. She found William's familiar face hidden behind the red helmet, she could see the smile on his lips. He apologized to his colleagues, running up to the trainer as if to ask for a few minutes break. The man nodded his approval, pleased with the running training, heard him say ten minutes break, and slightly tired players fell to the pitch.  
Defeating two steps with big jumps, he found himself in it in less than a minute. He stood in front of her in the white and red costume of the school team, a large number twenty-four adorning his back. On the right, the first high school logo was sewn, it did not have more significant ornaments. They were not needed.  
— Hi, you are not taking classes? — he asked her slightly out of breath.  
— No — she murmured angrily as the boy sat next to her — O'Brien pissed me off how long the same scheme could be reproduced. It's a complete boredom — she put her hands on her knees, with dubious eyes looking at other members of the football group.  
— You know, I do not know about art, but it seems to me that it's about copying what you see.  
She wanted to step on him, for such a shallow approach to painting, but at the last moment she bit her tongue. It should understand people who have no idea about artistry.  
— No Will, maybe it works for beginners, but I'm in an advanced group. What is more important to me if I do not learn anything — she said furiously.  
— Calm down, I did not want to upset you.  
— I should apologize, I do not need to get excited — she said a bit contrite.  
He nodded gently, understanding her frustration and lack of misunderstanding on his part. He cleared his throat after a moment:  
— Maybe you will go with me for a coffee, finish training in twenty minutes, explain a bit more to me and tell me what happened.  
She looked up at him when the words of the boy reached her. It was not a stupid idea at all, she thought. Why would she disagree, since the lessons were long gone and now they were sitting in the school walls because of the extra classes they had to sign up for, it was obligatory, and she, well, chose as an object an additional piece she wanted give up. However, she saw that she would not find a place on other wheels to get interested. She was not fond of sport, she was not a great lover of literature, she liked to go into the adventure of a literary character once in a while, but she did not analyze their meaning. It was one of the activities she liked to do during cold evenings or heavy days. All she has left is art.  
She nodded gently, in agreement. The amused boy jumped up from the dark seat, declaring that she would wait for him. He ran again to the grass, announcing to the man standing on the side that they could start the game again.  
She watched them attentively when they were practicing successive passes and did not like her sports activities, she liked watching a football game together with her brother, who was curious about it and had some ideas about this discipline.  
She was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Wilson, who ran to the locker room. He returned after a while in the company of his best friend, with whom he talked about the strategy and the upcoming match with the representation from Phoenix. When she heard the name of the team they were about to face, she felt her stomach tangle. It was a group from her former high school, she did not mention them well, because their captain and his girlfriend, one of those damned cheerleaders who considered herself the most important one, would like to suffer from her. She remained passive on their provocations or malice, but they stubbornly wanted to achieve the goal of discrediting her at the school forum, which unfortunately failed. She was laughed at by the fact that in every school, football leaders and girls who were supposed to cheer them were always in a relationship. Supposedly nothing fancy, but it was a bit funny for her.  
He said goodbye to his friend, knocking her out of his thoughts.  
They came to a nearby café, which was even occupied by teenagers from this school when they came up to a caffeine drink in the morning. They went into the restaurant, finding a side table. She took the place opposite the window, looking at people walking on the paved sidewalks of the city. They did not have to wait long for the waitress who appeared next to them only moments later. She looked at her face and met Sara, a girl who was studying in the same class.  
— Hi, what do you give? — she asked, sending them a company smile.  
The boy let her choose the first one, she looked through the list of the premises propositions printed in the charming menu, but did not notice anything that interested her.  
— Ask for a mosh — she handed to the card, when the girl meticulously saved the order.  
— Only Latte Macchiato for me — he announced, not even opening the decorated menu.  
With a neat step, she left them to go to the bar so the barista could prepare their drinks. She looked down at her when she disappeared behind the wooden table, only then she turned back to the boy who was accompanying her.  
— So what went really? — he asked her, more and more interesting verbal quarrel between his friend and Professor Amelia.  
— A different point of view — she explained, ignoring the text message coming to her phone — She thinks we'll learn anything if she keeps painting fruit in the bowl, pathetic — she murmured when their friend returned with their drinks.  
She put them in front of them, with a friendly smile, wishing them a tasty one, and then she moved away to the newly arrived customers of the premises. She grabbed the brown substance in a transparent glass, taking a sip of some chocolate drink. She recently loved this type of caffeine, from the moment she tried it from Emily, she became a small fan of coffee combined with chocolate. However, she still thought Chester was the best caffeine resident. Sometimes he was irritating as his older brother had more than once experienced an argument with him when their views differed, or when he woke her in the cold shower in the morning, however, they were usually unanimous. She could have boldly said that thanks to him his life took on colors.  
— I heard that some people complained about her classes, but so far no one — said his opinion — in her lessons — he said by emphasizing his manual words the last words he said.  
— It must have happened this day — she said — You know, I would not say bad if I learned something, but did not show us anything interesting so far, although almost three months have passed since the beginning of the year — I noticed that everyone perceives me as a little conflict and a girl, who will not answer because she's scared. This is nonsense. They will not take me seriously after all.  
— You know, Julio, you're new at school, you did not make any fuss at first — he saw his friend roll her eyes at his statement, as if she wanted to tell him that she was not a problem in a quite sarcastic way — I know I have to fight with April from the beginning of September However, teachers are not very interested in whether or not there are misunderstandings between students. Until they threaten themselves and other students they have no reason to intervene. You say what you do not like and this is the right solution, after all you will not be silent when someone offends you or you can not communicate.  
Through the mind of a teenager, she went through the thought of her life in Arizona and how she behaved at school. Then, even if she had a different point of view, she did not say a word, she did not want to interfere with any conflicts which sometimes was not easy and she landed several times on the rug of the headmaster. It is said that the quiet waters of the river tears, and she was the perfect metaphor of this wise saying.  
— Maybe — she murmured long, slurping another sip of a hot drink.  
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and the boy bit his lip nervously. For a few days he had been intending to invite an older high school student for a date, but he always fell out with something, or was frowning. Usually he was firm and direct, but this time something was happening to him, he felt intimidated in the company of an eighteen-year-old. It did not matter to him that he was an age younger than her for a whole year, his age never really meant anything to him, but something troubled him when he even thought to ask about plans for the upcoming weekend.  
He gathered in himself, deciding that he would finally ask her. He cleared his throat, then put down the mug with his coffee on the wooden table top.  
— Julia?  
— Yes — She looked at him with her blue eyes that so many boys had charmed in their high school.  
The girl became popular with the opposite sex, not one boy dreamed of taking her for a romantic dinner, living with the hope that he would win her heart. He saw well how the last beauty amulet had been sent away, he was even more embarrassed and his confidence disappeared as soon as it appeared. However, he had to ask what had recently been awake.  
—Will you agree to go to the cinema with me on Saturday?  
— Is this a dating proposal? — She put down a mug of aromatic coffee half—cooked.  
He moved restlessly, but controlled the bitter voice that rumbled in his chest.  
— Yes.  
She fell silent, not knowing what to answer.  
She always treated William like a good friend and thought that their relationship was friendly, not meant to arrange a meeting for couples in love. She wanted him to treat her as a good friend, with whom he could talk to a close friend, but now that she heard his request she began to convince that the boys start dating her only to persuade her on a date. Was it so strange that she did not look for admirers, she was not interested in the young boys from her high school? She tried to deceive herself that she was not looking for love, but the truth was completely different. Someone else wrapped up her mind, she saw a friend in him, but her heart began to tear at him.  
She shook her head slightly, evading her intrusive thoughts.  
She got up from the chair, pulling a ten-dollar bill from the wallet, throwing it on the table.  
— Will, I'm sorry, I have other plans for this day — she said calmly, trying to control herself, frustrating her — Forgive me, but I'm not interested.  
Without a word, she left the restaurant, leaving a tip for her friend. She slammed the door behind her with a slight boom, going out onto the sidewalk in the midday sun. Pushed through a fairly large group of people chatting at one of the columns with announcements going in its known direction.

The cool waves of the ocean were reflecting on her bare feet, and she was looking at the sun setting behind the horizon. The golden bands of the last light reflected in the calm ocean. She loved to look at the west, there was something special and delightful in it, something she could not describe. She felt the grain of sand between her fingers and the other streams of water that rushed into the beaches every day.  
She took a deep breath in her lungs, enjoying the last view of the fiery ball.  
— You refused? — she heard his voice behind her, she did not take her eyes away from the delightful sight.  
— Yes, I had no choice — she said in a low voice — She does not feel anything for him — She lowered her gaze, glancing at her feet beneath the surface of crystalline water.  
He stared at her, standing nearby, saw her body tremble with nervousness. She rarely talked about the emotional sphere, she was rather opposed to it when he tried to find out something, she always insisted that he would not ask her more questions that he had felt were not comfortable for her. Tonight, however, was different. When he did not come back home, he was not surprised at all, he understood that she fell out with friends recently, but after an hour he got a phone call from her where she was and almost begged him to come to her. Something broke in her that she told him about a failed attempt to invite her on a date by a friend.  
— Why? — slowly turned to him — Why look at me as a girl, which will invite for one date and dragged me to bed for a quick number. I look like a shallow person who wants quick sex in exchange for someone's interest — she pursed her lips in a narrow line when a memory returned to her mind.  
She stood hidden behind the open door of her locker. In the distance, she could hear the color of male voices she did not know very well, but she could not stop listening to the words they exchanged when they planned how to enlist the new party at Cindy's party and what they called "get a pass".  
She did not throw everyone into one sack, but she felt the compelling impression that the boys from her school were looking at her as fresh cannonball had flinched at the very notion of these words.  
She counted on a romantic evening in the company of a boy she cared about, but she would not like to be seen as a teenager who would be able to slav after one meeting. It was not so trivial to give the first one better.  
She had had enough of these diagonally contracts between the boys of her high school, maybe not everyone wanted to, and he was really infatuated with her, but she did not want to be besieged by them, hearing further requests for a one-on-one meeting. She did not want such popularity, she abhorred her, but she could do nothing to discourage them. She was always natural, she did not even look attractive, sometimes even dressing her brother's big school t-shirt did not make her amateurs feel disgusted with her pretty clothing she preferred. Mostly dressed in plain pants light or ordinary T-shirt with a furry jacket or a blouse on her shoulders, she had the impression of getting more and more amateurs of her charms.  
— I do not intend to explain them, because I do not know them and understand them at the same time, I was young myself and I also had silly ideas at their age, but I would never think of such absurd ideas to convince a girl that she would love me. At my young age, my mother instilled in me the respect for girls and women. I do not know any originators from some families, but if they do not respect their friends from school, they do not have that feeling for their mothers too — he said, and the shadow of a smile crept at her corners of the mouth — Julio should be your choice if you decide to such a step. You make your own decisions by looking also at your future boyfriend's decision with whom you decide to spend these moments. You should not work under time pressure. I know that there is a fashion among young people, to include someone in the last year of high school, when they did not have the first time behind them, but what if this is done for the show and it does not take pleasure. Julio remember, do not force anything on yourself or give in to the pressure of the surroundings.  
She thought about his words and she had to admit his reasons.  
—I can understand everything but not bets about me. He feels like a prostitute, not a girl who has her desires — she lowered her eyes to get stuck with golden sand.  
His last words hurt him, which made him even more angry. He knew her enough that he could say that such disgusting words or suggestions about men of light custom make her psychological pain. He did not know more about the reasons for her fear, but he did not intend to push her. Everyone fussed something, she felt intimidated, when the sex life moved, she suddenly fell silent and did not dare to speak. She became withdrawn. He wondered about her behavior, Chester sometimes asked, but he did not know much either. He did not suspect, however, that he had his guesses, which he did not want to share. He waited for the right moments to raise the subject with his sister.  
Gently, he took her cheek, turning his face toward him, passing gently on her smooth skin.  
— Never think like that! — he said firmly — You can not feel bad by someone who does not really know you and judges you for a damn look, the world is not around, and more and more I have the impression that only the position and what it looks like matters — he murmured with a dismay - Julio you are a unique and very talented artist, you stole my heart as soon as I started to get to know you — a gentle smile brightened her face — You let me forget about a failed relationship. You saved me in a way, because again thanks to you I have a chance to live an ordinary life — suddenly her quiet laughter torn the air—Yes, I know, the band and its popularity — he said with amusement - But it does not matter, because I really found a great friend, whom I trust boundlessly.  
She stared at him, not knowing what to say. She had no idea that she meant so much to her, she was aware that in some indefinite way he wanted her, but so far she did not realize how much. She did not have the awareness that in some way she helped him get out of the psychic hole. She remembered this depressing man who tried to cover up his sadness under the mask of a smile, but over the course of weeks her joy was not forced but sincere and heartfelt.  
They both changed.  
They returned to their former personalities who had been stolen from them.  
— Until now, I was afraid to trust. I was afraid to make friends with anyone, because... — she sighed, then continued — I do not know how to determine why I felt this way, but somehow I let myself open and damn thank you for that. I did not get one brother, and six — their quiet laughter rolled over the rocky coast nearby.  
— It got quite creepy — he said, moving slightly away from her.  
— Screw this! — she said with amusement.  
They sat on the sand, and the first star constellations brightened up the bleak night. Looking for the dog's star, she suddenly felt her warm arms on her waist, she clung firmly to him. He gently rubbed her frozen arms, closed her eyes under the influence of his touch.  
— I have a question — he said after a moment of pleasant silence.  
She looked up at him, and he only sent her a calming smile.  
— On Saturday, the opening of my work takes place. Will you agree to go with me?  
—As a friend? She asked cautiously, but with amusement in her voice.  
— Yes.  
She nodded slightly in agreement, and he embraced her even more, as she, guided by the hovering atmosphere, pressed her cheek against his collarbone.

She lit a light near the dresser, when she saw the fleeing sun in the distance. She took a good look at herself to assess the effect of her work, which she was finally satisfied with. She corrected the hair that fell on her shoulders, which she had somewhat stuck in the back in the delicate, practically insidious elastic bands, created a simple but elegant hairstyle. She put it on a bright table top, her favorite lipstick, it did not have any vivid color, the shade matched perfectly to her slightly pink lips. She reached for the dark hairpin, alone abandoned on white wood. She slipped it into the cascade of her dark curls, which again regained their natural shade. As she adjusted her slightly white collar collar, she rose from the comfortable chair, looking around for the jacket she had left on the couch.  
There was a vernissage of works by her friend today, and as a good friend who agreed to accompany him, she did not want to look bad. She did not choose clever clothes, but she put on a casual but elegant selection of clothes. The bright denim was her slim legs, and she wore navy-blue ballerinas with golden ornaments on her feet. She grabbed the abandoned jacket and small clutch bag, which lay abandoned in the blue sako chairs, made sure she took everything, then left the room, leaving the lighted cupboard with cosmetics, and the blue lights that she recently acquired for some sale hanging over the bed frame.  
Taking cautious steps, she descended the lit steps of the villa, looking around for Michael. He was leaning against the couch, staring at the phone screen. He looked up as steps from the upper corridor reached him. He measured her with the eyes of his dark eyes, and the corner of his mouth gently rose upward. He put the smartphone in his pants pocket, overcoming the distance between them.  
— You look beautiful — he gave her another compliment in the last weeks.  
Previously, she believed that flattery as an unnecessary element of her existence, if someone gave her words of recognition probably stated that it is aimed at her cheek in her direction and someone deliberately wants to make fun of her, however, these moments have passed, those people have left, she left behind an uncomfortable past, she created a new book with the people she cared about, and they were not just people endowed with great egoism, with a lack of empathy in their hearts.  
She got to know the taste of life again.  
— Thank you — she replied hurriedly, put away her purse for a moment, putting on her shoulders a suit which looked a bit like an elegant jacket - I do not look tragic like after a hurricane - she joked, causing the man to laugh.  
— I assure you that I have not seen a more charming girl than you — he said, letting her through the door.  
In an instant she did not know how to answer his words, she looked up at him to sink in the glare of his dark gaze. They stayed in blissful silence, unable to take their eyes away from each other, as if they were spitting in one moment, time slowed down, noticing the love feeling emerging in them. Allowing them to give respite, more and more to desire fate appointed them a common team. The efforts were, however, in vain, life is not easy, and they were not aware that soon they would be forced to face a demon who wanted to destroy them, to burn the thread of understanding that had formed between them.  
She dropped her gaze, stuck it in her hands clenched on a navy purse, shook off the reverie she had fallen into. Shinoda did not remain indebted to her, grabbed her by the arm and led her toward the car on the vehicle. They got into the vehicle, after a while they went to the dormant streets of the city to join the traffic. The silent music in the background was invading the atmosphere as they fought through the congested streets of the metropolis, trying to get to the gallery where the exhibition of works took place.  
The long forty minutes they had spent in continuous traffic jams turned out to be a salvation when they saw in the distance a half-glazed building illuminated with many lights from inside. The parking lot was filled with vehicles, visitors or a few art critics who came to the opening.  
Michael parked at one of the vacancies near the entrance, turned off the engine, lowering the vehicle. He approached his companion who had not yet managed to leave the car. The man, as a gentleman, helped Julia leave the car. I gave her a charming smile that could bring joy to her heart at any moment.  
— Can I ask you?  
He gave her his forearm, looked at him carefully for a moment, in vain trying to find something, the only thing she saw was a flash of joy in his mesmerizing irises, wandering joy on his lips made her want to smile all the time.  
They went through dark tiles, single lamps mounted in the sidewalk illuminated their way to the glass gallery. They walked slowly through the deserted corridors of the building, heard in the distance the buzz of conversation from the nearby hall. They entered a lit room, where she noticed quite a large group of people discussing with friends, looking at the next works that hung on the wall. The lamps embedded in the plaster were illuminated by further graphites or paintings decorated with frames.  
— Tell me how you found the time to prepare this whole exhibition — she asked him when they stood under one of the decorated walls.  
— I told you that we have little work in the studio lately so I took care of painting. I went home when you were at school and scratched something —0 he replied, shrugging his shoulders — But most of these paintings were made in earlier years and I could not show them at earlier vernissages.  
— You surprise me — she admitted honestly — Is there something I do not know about? — she said pugnaciously, but in spirit she admired his resourcefulness and how he gave himself time to organize himself to all his work or interest, without losing time for an ordinary meeting with friends.  
— Maybe I was planning to invite you on a date — he said jokingly, he could feel her piercing eyes on him, but she laughed when she thought it was a joke.  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man walking toward them with a slight gray on the sides, dressed in a simple suit and a white T-shirt, the last two buttons unbuttoned to give respite after a day's tie.  
— Hello Mike — he gave him a friendly smile, and he tore his eyes away from his friend, who decided that he would rather go out and explore with his talent. He watched her until she disappeared behind one of the groups of middle—aged ladies.  
— Good morning, Mr. Richards. How are you feeling? — he asked a man who was very close to him.  
Jonathan Richards was passionate about contemporary art, a regular publishing house. They eagerly promoted new writers, hoping that their writing career will develop significantly. The man put on young talents, but he did not deny the artists who stood at the top of the lists, he thought that the young authors are the future of the country, they have a lot of ingenuity, colorful stories that they can translate into sheets of paper, introducing into the ubiquitous monotony a look of a youthful eye on the surrounding their world. They can not rely on writers who already have years of their career behind, and some have been creating many similar stories for years, which begins to bore the reader over time. The book is supposed to give pleasure when turning over the pages of the book, learning about the fate of the characters or the heroine. It is supposed to give pleasure not to bore. Privately he was a fan of painters' works, and in particular he is interested in works taken from the street. It may stun you, but in the walls painted by young artists there is something inspiring that can attract the eye of these paintings. He remembered the first exhibition of works by the young artist, spent the free day with his wife, visited one of his favorite galleries where the vernissage was just taking place. Looking at the images of the music, he was interested in his style and a quite surreal approach to art. From that moment he came to every exhibition of Shinoda's works, getting to know the young artist closer.  
Bored of walking among the hung up images and groups of chatty people, she sought out Michael's gaze, which he discussed with the man who accosted him during their little discussion. She knew the rapper's work too well, since she gave her private drawing lessons, showed her many of her projects and got to know his style a bit. Also because she saw many of these works earlier, when they were sitting in his office where he kept all his paintings. She did not pay any attention to them before or did they ask for them, but instead of looking out of the corner of her eye she was looking at some of them admirable for his talent. She passed a young woman, approaching the discussing men. She stood calmly by the side of her friend, not having the courage to interrupt their conversation, then Jonathan's gaze went to her petite figure.  
— I've never seen you here — he said, holding out his hand to her, "Jonathan Richards — he introduced himself.  
She squeezed his hand uncertainly, and an unpleasant chill ran through her body. She still had difficulty getting to know new people, tried to fight this shyness at times, sometimes it was difficult but she kept telling herself that you can not have anything and need more time. While it was not difficult for her friends, she had much more trouble with the elderly than she was.  
— Julia Bennington — she introduced herself, taking one step back, standing somewhat behind Michael's shoulder.  
— I was embarrassed by you — he assumed a slightly more serious tone when he saw Shinoda's partner parting slightly —Excuse me.  
She lowered her gaze from Mr. Richards's piercing eyes, feeling the blush that flushed her pale cheeks. Glancing over the bright tiles of the hall, she saw Mike find her hand, tightened his slim fingers on her wrist, trying to support her and somehow uplift her spirits. He knew this shy 18-year-old boy who spent the time with them, made her bolder, did not run away on every possible occasion, did not avoid embarrassing situations, was herself, but meeting new personalities was difficult for her like giving her enemy confidence.  
— It does not matter — she murmured in a whisper, feeling some kind of relief, knowing that she had Michael on her.  
Shinoda left the topic to loosen up the tense atmosphere, did not want to give them more agreements, finally their conversation turned to the high school's painting skills, which still lived in the belief that her works are poor, even ugly towards friends' denials, and her private drawing teacher.  
— Do you paint for a long time? — Jonathan asked, walking with them in the lighted room.  
— You can say that for six years — she replied in a calm tone, not letting the music out of the hand.  
It did not matter to her whether someone would take them for a pair or young lovers. She did not care, as long as she was aware that Shinoda was still with her and could count on him, everything else was altered to have a lot of meaning.  
— I am curious about your work, they are probably very interesting.  
— Not necessarily, Mr. Richards.  
— I have to disagree with you — he interjected into this silent musician, he felt her glare at himself, he lifted up the corner of his mouth — You impress me with your skills and know that this is not a small compliment.  
— I have to disagree with you — he interjected into this silent musician, he felt her glare at himself, he lifted up the corner of his mouth — You impress me with your skills and know that this is not a small compliment.  
She stared at him, torn between throwing at him with fists, but the great desire was to grab him in her arms and hug him. She had heard many words of appreciation from his mouth, no matter what the situation was in anyway. She felt as if she wanted to rebuild her self-confidence, which was deeply buried, dormant in the darkest place of her mind. However, she was not used to listening to someone praising her. Inborn modesty has always made itself felt.  
— I know your work Julio, you put a lot of work into it, you try to be a professional in what to create, and this is a useful advantage. The people who know what they want, not only in art, but also in other fields where creativity is of great value.  
— I hope that soon I will be able to admire your paintings — an older man, he smiled encouragingly, and she had no idea what to do with himself.  
She was not used to such flattery and she just felt stupid, listening to Shinoda's next challenges and how she perceived her art. She never thought that her works would be on the walls of some galleries and they would be admired by many. She admitted that her paintings would remain locked in a briefcase and then hidden in the bottom of the wardrobe so that no one else could see them. In her life, however, appeared Mike, who saw in her condemned and helps her to be better and better, for which she was extremely grateful.  
Not everyone was able to afford such sacrifices, to say a few nice words to her, she was always criticized, her wings were cut to fall down on every move. He saw in her the person she always wanted to be, but she was too scared. Who was she afraid of? Rather whom?  
She was afraid of herself.  
— I do not want to exhibit them — she confided in a moment of reflection — I create for myself, it may happen that tomorrow I leave them and abandoned dreams of painting studies.  
She moved uneasily under the influence of Michael's surprised look.  
She did not tell anyone that she wanted to apply for art studies. It was a small dream to her, still she thought her talent was not very impressive, from the moment when her work began to take on colors or shapes, she wanted to go to college and educate herself in this direction. However, she did not hope, she also had no prospects to submit documents to the university. As every teenager would have dreamed of going to college, she wanted to develop and prove to everyone not to the twins that the girl from the orphanage does not always have to go to prison with a lot of offenses.  
The exhibition came to an end when the digits on the electronic watches had gone into the twenty—third hour, and the time the art gallery opened was over.  
They returned to the apartment, the relaxed atmosphere that accompanied them when they returned through the already deserted streets of Los Angeles, until the moment they crossed the threshold of the apartment. Laughing at Michael's next joke, she stumbled to the living room. She leaned on the light sofa material, still clenching her hands on the navy blue clutch bag. Keeping her hand on one knee, she could hardly catch any more air. She could see nothing in slow motion, Michael, who pulled a purse from her hand, throwing it carelessly on the soft cushions.  
She looked up at him with a slightly misty look, saw a wandering smile on his full lips, raised her eyes to meet the dark color of his eyes. She seemed to them something appealing and extremely charming, she held her breath when he was dangerously trapped in her larynx. She felt her body suddenly stiffen, which seemed really strange to her.  
She never reacted in such an emotional way to his proximity, which was really surprising. Gently, he took her chin, stroking her cool cheek with his fingertip, brought her closer to him. He clenched his fingers on the fabric of her jacket, lifting her off the back of a comfortable piece of furniture. She lost her stronghold behind her, stood on shaking legs, not realizing that she was holding the air in her lungs all the time.  
— Breathe because I do not want to be faint here — he murmured in a deep voice, her body shaking with excitement.  
Was it possible to feel it again? Lost feelings years ago, gave her a chance to learn the taste of love, for her was the power of lust that she had overcome. She would not feel that she was so strong, it was impossible with her previous partners. It was alien to her deep excitement, it was something else she had never experienced.  
He drove slightly across the squares with her tight lips, parting them gently. He could not stop the lust in his chest that had been smoldering in him since the evening began. He caught her lips in his, enjoying the sweet taste of her raspberry lips. The surprised girl stood for a moment in astonishment, as if not understanding what was happening at the moment, but could not resist the temptation, she returned his passionate and subtle caress. She grabbed the collar of his shirt as if desperately trying to experience greater closeness, she sensed his lips rising slightly upwards, but she could not think about it when she felt his warm lips that kissed her with a great feeling and passion. She was not aware when she passed her hand over his shielded neck, with the payment of the fingers of two hands, slightly closer to him, feeling as if there was no distance between them.  
She forgot what it felt like to be desirable by somebody, a distant feeling, when you feel the look of a handsome adorer on yourself and you can not help feeling that his eyes are directed only at her, as if he has not seen anyone else behind you.  
He blindly felt the sofa standing on her, grabbed her hips, gently lifting her up, sitting on the back of a light piece of furniture. Kissing her heated mouth, he could not help feeling that he wanted to feel those delicate lips every day. He felt his lips tighten on his lips, as if not wanting to end it. Unconsciously parted lips delicately, she did not have to wait long for their kiss to become more intense. Fighting between time and the desire of one's own heart, which wanted more and common sense, which clearly expressed the opposite. At the moment she did not think about it when she was determined to fight for domination, but she was in a lost position when he took full control over her and she could only succumb to his tender kiss with which she did not intend to fight.  
She moved away from his lips, but he could still clearly feel her warm breath on her face, staring at him, and the words were unnecessary at the moment. She lowered her eyes, feeling her body tremble with emotion, she covered her slightly flushed face in his collarbone, and he embraced her in the waist, not wanting that moment to cease to exist.  
He realized what position they were in, an eighteen-year-old boy sitting on the edge of the couch, his knees parted from side to side, and he stood between them, still squeezing her slightly overcooked body in his arms. His mind stubbornly suggested quite ambiguous thoughts, and he quickly killed them aside. He could not let this happen. He was not aware that there was a real hurricane in his companion's head.  
She closed her eyes, feeling the gentle breeze of his perfume she liked so much, even though she clung to him with her whole body, saw through Michael's brown eyes, full of desire, she wanted to erase him from her memory, but she could not. She still felt those intense lips, and thoughts rushed through her mind to raise her head again and to taste the lips that she was beginning to miss. She smiled stupidly as the obsessive voice cried to her mind: "You kissed who you think of as an idol," "who would have thought that Mike Shinoda kissed so well" could not drive him away when he shouted more metaphors. However, did she want to do it?  
Finally, after so many years of constant struggle with her desire for love and the desire to get someone's attention, she had it, maybe to a small extent, but it was enough for her. Did it matter who she shared it with, she did not care.  
Finally she felt happy!  
She strengthened her grip on his neck when he slumped slightly.  
— Stay — she whispered.  
She should feel embarrassed, run away, but she did not feel it. She feasted her closeness and the fact that she could just hug him.  
She did not have to repeat it, he did not want to do it, his conscience won him a moment before he would give a teenager a bit of a break, but now that she herself would ask her not to stay, he hugged her even more.  
They both gained faith again, love, lost hopes, which was pushed into the darkest depths of their minds.


	29. TOM 1— REBEL : 28 — YOU WILL BE THE ONE WHO WILL SHOW ME THE WAY IN THE DARK

— I promise, I will throw this phone out, especially this damned alarm clock! — she whined, trying to find the smartphone that has been playing for five minutes.  
She found him in the end, lay in scattered bedding in the legs of a large bed, switched to her stomach, unlocking the screen, then ran her finger to turn off this annoying bell. She would have a great desire to throw him near the wall, but she could not help it. Early waking was almost always her problem, her nature of the night brand did not make things any easier. She loved to sit till late at night, even during the school week. Sitting over drawings or projects, she realized that the watches were pointing to the second or, in extreme cases, the third night, and she realized with horror that she had only a few hours of healthy sleep. Sometimes it happened that a brother visited her to see why she still shone on her, he saw her absorbed in another picture or the translation of the text depending on what she was doing at that moment. He chased her over and over again, claiming that tomorrow, if she did not wake up herself, she would build her cold shower. She acknowledged this with the statement that she does so anyway, so she can not see the difference.  
She scrambled under the tangled blanket and blanket, dropping the cell phone onto the mattress, and she reached for the dark satin, covering her bare arms. Tying the ribbon that wrapped her waist, she went cautiously under the bright steps, going to the door. She tugged at the light wood, stepping out onto the corridor bathed in the glow of the morning sun. The bright light reflected on the bright floor panels. She could feel the heat coming from them, and she liked it the most. With bare feet, she entered the open bathroom, approaching the sink. She looked into her mirror image, saw in her a sleepy but happy teenager. She could no longer see the imitation of a frightened girl, afraid to fight for the next tomorrow, but a 17—year—old who was ready to fight, fear of which became an unnecessary element.  
She washed her face with water and then took out her toothbrush. When she put it down after a while, she washed her lips out of the foam, trying to find the curler she'd left in the top cupboard. She scratched her head thoughtfully when she did not see the device in place. It was not possible for someone to use it, she was the only girl living in this house. It would not be possible for her memory to fail, she finally left the room, hoping that she would leave her on her dresser. When she was about to enter her bedroom, Mike appeared in the corridor, buttoning the last buttons of his shirt, paying attention to her when she heard her quiet laugh, noticing the scar on his head.  
— You look like a crow crowing you — she said with a bite of attention, trying to hide the joy that came to her lips.  
He raised a slightly absent gaze on her, and the glint in his dark eyes was to take on a slightly threatening tone, but he made even more of a smile on the teenager's lips.  
— Very funny young — he whispered, resenting the shirt's sleeves.  
— And where your famous "look better in the mirror" — she mocked him.  
The man only sighed quietly, waved at her, disappearing behind the wing of the dark bathroom. Still amused, she ran into the room, going to the dressing-table, searching the drawers with cosmetics or other make-up products, finally finding the device she had in the last pull-out cupboard. She took it out, untying the braided band on the handle. She left the device on light wood to warm up a little before taking a hairstyle. Grabbing a smartphone on the way, she entered the wardrobe, finding an interesting set of clothes. She took off her nightgown, in which she loved to sleep, grabbing lightly torn denim jeans, found her favorite red and black plaid shirt, buttoning a long sweatshirt, finding black sneakers and a black bowler hat.  
She left the room to take care of her hairstyle. She did not want to paint today, she did not like to be too embellished. Many people have said that even when it makes the lines under the eyes, it makes a lot of it, but it did not look like it would end in eighteen years, the ones that she met and did not know her, they kept asking for her age, because she looked much older. She sighed, finishing up her dark curls, then put her hat carefully over her head. She peered one last time in the mirror, assessing her appearance. She could say she looked pretty good for her.  
She ran out of the room, grabbing a bag of books and notebooks along the way, jumping two steps, standing in the living room as she stood at the top of the stairs, Anika appeared at her feet, and Jay was right behind her. The Siberian harem grew more and it could not say that he was already a puppy. She greeted the dogs, scratching everyone behind the ear. Making sure that there was an hour to do it  
She sat at the kitchen bar, eating toasts with jam, when Shinoda appeared in the passage. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and memories of the previous evening flooded her mind. She could not stop thinking about it, and her heart trembled, as if he wanted to be stubborn, remind her of what she felt, when she could touch those passionate lips, she still felt their sweetness, tightened her hand tightly on a glass of orange juice when she saw him looking at her, she lowered her eyes when she realized that she was still looking at him. It will turn out not to be correct, to look at someone without any intentions of conversation. She put the glass to her mouth, trying not to arouse his eyes, but the musician seemed to know what the teenager's mind was doing. Sam was not in a better situation when he was still thinking about their evening kiss. He thought he would not feel anything for a teenage girl, but something stirred in him, he could not explain it, but his feelings towards her were getting stronger and he did not want to hide it, but he could not tell her the truth. He saw that Julia was not convinced of potential infatuation, and what to think about the relationship, sometimes he came up with the absurd idea that she is such a good actress that she can not decipher her and her desires. She was a mystery that no one could guess, an aura of mystery hung over her. The mind still contained many unknown to them, he wanted to know her so much. He was more and more eager to learn more about her past. She knew, however, that she would not let him. You can not get used to the weight of your old life.  
He could go so far as to say that she could have fond memories of that period, but he would have been a stupid thing when he thought so. They knew her reactions well when they wanted to ask her something from her past from Phoenix, she immediately changed the subject or looked away, concealing her almost feelings.  
She was afraid.  
She was afraid of her demons.  
Patience now will be a necessity not to alienate young Bennington, and at the same time to give her a chance to feel comfortable enough to let her throw away the huge boulder that she is carrying.  
He saw in her a strong and independent young woman who was becoming. If he was to blame the family for lack of fortitude, he had to measure himself with his cheek aimed at him. He knew Chester's past well and what way he had gone to find himself, where he was, he never gave up, he did not give in, he did not give in to what was destroying him. He won and was proud of him that despite such a mess in his life. He decided to create a home for his younger sister, they did not know each other, they gave themselves this opportunity and now they create a harmonious duet. Small conflicts or quarrels are not a problem, because they can balance their opinion.  
— Do you eat something? — Julia wrested him from the depths of his mind.  
He looked at the girl who had drunk the last sip of the fruit drink, and then threw the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. She stood up, taking her favorite thermal mug out of the cupboard to prepare a bit of caffeine for school.  
— There's toast and juice on the counter — she explained calmly, pouring the ground coffee beans into the pan, filling the pellets with brown sugar.  
There was a moment of silence, interrupted only by the voice of the announcer coming out of the radio loudspeaker placed on one of the shelves. The high school student leaned against the kitchen counter, waiting for the electric kettle to turn off. She stared at the vase of tulips she had put on the shoulder yesterday. The flowers spread out their petals when they got a little water, the tiny orange balls floated around the stalks, adding charm to the bunch.  
— Are you mad at me? — She looked shocked at Michael, who was watching her watching.  
She did not expect such a question, was she angry? The answer was almost banal. Why would she feel angry at his kiss, which she did not hide, she wanted herself. Does he think she's so fearful about repair? Maybe she had moments in her life where she was really afraid, but they passed. Now she lived a full life without looking back, just moving forward.  
— Mike, how did that come to you? — She asked seriously.  
— I do not know — he shrugged slightly — You have not spoken to me since I appeared, I thought... — he muttered, embarrassed.  
A gentle smile lit her face, ignoring the boiled water, she approached him, faced him.  
— Why would I be mad at you, explain to me? — she asked, unable to hide the smile that still lit up on her face — Mike, if I really felt something like this, I would hit you when trying to kiss me, but I did not do it and why — she fell silent, leaning slightly, saw in his eyes, as the tension disappears, and he felt a distinct relief — I liked it — she could be like other girls who do not tell the truth about their feelings when they are afraid that the boy of their dreams will reject them, but she did not belong to them. When it came to feelings, she tried to be herself and not to conceal the truth from herself or others, but the other was a more complicated matter, sometimes fear took over her control and did not let her say what she thought.  
Before the musician realized it, she kissed him quickly on the cheek, and then he would return to pour the coffee with water. She did not want to be late for school. She poured her favorite maple syrup, closing the lid of the cup. She grabbed the bag left on the chair, said goodbye to a friend, leaving the apartment.  
She did not want to take a skateboard today, she set out for a morning walk through the park.  
She got to high school about ten minutes later. Entering the open door of the building, she heard the sound of notification. With small problems, she took the smartphone out of the bag, convinced that one of her friends wrote to her whether she had already come to school, but it was a message from Chester. She smiled slightly, seeing that he was speaking. She had not talked to him for two days and had missed him a little. She felt emptiness when she did not have it with him, and he gave concerts at the other end of the country, but she knew his job and what it was related to. She read his message, not even paying attention to some strange confusion that prevailed in the corridors as she slowly moved to her locker. She replied to his message, reaching her school locker, where her friends were standing. She clutched the green button, correcting her bag sliding off her shoulders.  
— Who do you write with that? — Brunette asked her, leaning against her locker, staring at her unlocked screen.  
— Your curiosity does not surprise me at all - she said, opening the metal door — With brother — she explained briefly, putting the cup on one of the shelves when she was throwing the bag inside, taking out the necessary textbooks for the first class.  
— Is it on the road for a long time? — Alex asked curiously.  
She could see Emily's expression on her face. She was still unaware of her relationship with Chester, but so far she was not forced to talk about her family. Only Aleksander and Selena knew her sweet secrets. She sighed quietly, slamming the hiding place.  
— One and a half month, is expected to come back at the beginning of December.  
— You miss him?  
Squeezing through school students, they were heading for the right class.  
— A little — she admitted after a moment, as she leaned against the wall in front of the biological room — Maybe she can peppee like the older brothers, but I do not know what I would do without him — she added, dodging the grim thoughts that stubbornly wanted to visit her mind.  
They got into a casual conversation, and her attention was drawn to Will. Since his unfortunate invitation, they did not talk to each other on a date, they exchanged only occasional greetings and their conversation ended. She could not help feeling that the boy had been watching her for some time, as if hoping he would change his mind and come to him asking him to renew his request. However, she was not reluctant, she did not intend to give someone hope if she did not feel any strong feelings than just friendship. She noticed that the boys at her age were completely uninterested in her or the younger ones. Choosing their heart partners they were always two or three years older than her. It could have been disturbing but it was not a problem for her. When she started dating Clark, she was only fourteen and he was before eighteenth birthday, her boyfriend was exactly twenty years old when she started her sixteenth year. It would be unthinkable for normal parents that their teenage daughter is dating a sophomore, but she did not have a family and they did not care if they met or not at the orphanage. She saw the boy sweep over her, heading towards him with a friend at his side who was talking to him. She sighed deeply.  
She did not want to lose him, despite the fact that their relations were strained, she wanted them to be friendly, and he clearly did not understand that she did not want to be his sympathy and only a good acquaintance. She had to catch him later and explain everything.  
She broke away from her thoughts when the bell rang for lessons.

— I do not believe — she jumped up from her phone when she was talking to a group of guys. She looked around in panic, as if afraid that someone would notice that she was talking in private with members of the Linkin Park team, but when she saw Selene staring at her phone, which was something exciting, she definitely relieved her. She left the chat room and locked the screen.  
—What happened again? — She became interested in grabbing a frozen can of cola from her food tray.  
She gave her the open side of the school with the announcement.

GREAT PRINCE WINTER BALL!

She grabbed the phone from the girl, following the following text:

On December 15, an annual winter ball will take place in our facility, where we will emerge the king and queen of this year's winter. Please submit candidates for princesses and princes of winter. The game will start exactly at 8pm, and when it hits midnight we will announce the winners of this year's fun.

Welcome.  
Students' council.

She gave her friend her property. This information did not move her significantly, she was honestly not surprised at all. In her previous school, boisterous balls were also organized and a royal pair was fished out of the students. She noticed, however, that her friends were very moved by the news of the upcoming ball. She as if she had never returned to her salad without even discussing potential dresses for fun.  
She did not know if she would go. The girls had many reasons for this. They wanted to dance for the last time at school play together with their boys or friends, laughing at those who applied for the title of king and queen. She heard Adams excite herself that she would be able to show off and sew beautiful creations for the ball. She was attracted by the atmosphere of the dresses and long dresses with a train. Apparently since the end of gymnasium she liked to design such costumes, and in time she began to sew them. However, she could not see her works because she did not have the opportunity to do so. She was not in the apartment of young Adams. Brunette invited her once, but she refused each time because she had something to do.  
— Julia, what are you wearing? — one of her friends asked and her hand froze with a fork to her mouth.  
She put the cutlery on the plate, looking at the girls staring at her. She moved a bit uneasily at the outflow of their glances, cleared her throat after a moment:  
— I do not know if I'll go.  
— Do not joke — the brunette was outraged, gesticulating heavily.  
— No! I do not even have to go.  
Colleagues exchanged meaningful glances, as if understanding her frustrations.  
— Come on. You dance, you will play. Screw that you do not have a boyfriend.  
She watched without a word how Selena's face changed suddenly, as if she had come up with some genius idea, and she was afraid that she was concerned with her. She bit her cheek from the inside while her friend squealed loudly.  
— I have! Will you go with Will.  
— What!? — she jumped up sharply, glancing at the dark-haired girl — No! I do not agree! — She cried, crossing her hands on her chest.  
— You know, you do not have anybody, he has not parted with his staff for a long time. Almost perfect couple — she exchanged knowing glances with her friends.  
— No way, Selena, make me lose my head with him — she looked angrily at her friend.  
— But why? — she asked in a slightly sad voice.  
— Because William is not my type! — She leaned back, leaping from her chair.  
She grabbed a workbook and a math textbook on the table, turned on her heel, going to the exit. She knew that she put them in a jumble. They still did not know about the situation from a few weeks ago, when the boy invited her to the cinema, and she refused him.  
That relationship would not go away anyway, she knew it.

She curled her legs under her breast, sitting in her swivel chair. She put her sketchbook on her thighs, ending the sketch of the picture she'd started at school today. Anika lay on her bed near the balcony door, staring at her owner. She noticed that the bitch sometimes looked at her as if she wanted to find out if her favorites were in danger. From the moment of her first panic attack, the dog began to be sensitive on this point, she did not stop guarding her, not wanting her to be harmed. It happened that not once had to wake up his master to help her, she was grateful that even Anika was with her then.  
She drew the last lines, moved to a dark desk, pushed aside an off-loaded laptop, arranging a sketchbook on an oak counter. She bent down, opening one of the drawers, taking out her favorite crayons and pencils to take on the colors of her work. She took a pencil out of the package in dark garnet colors, wanting to take care of her hair, leaned over the page when she heard the familiar melody of her phone. She sighed quietly, pushing away from the desk, under the glass table. She grabbed the calling smartphone, putting it to her ear.  
— Listen? — she returned to her desk looking at the work she had started.  
— Are you going to the party? — heard Aaron's voice on the other side — Felix organizes a meeting at the pool.  
— Not to Agreste, I think — she murmured, slightly unhappy.  
At the very thought of that name she felt irritation, not only that she still had to deal with the stupid adventures of Adrien, but she still had the unpleasantness to meet his cousin Felix. She regarded them as podrywaczy and continuous boys with unfulfilled sexual fantasies. She somehow managed to be a blond in her class, but his younger cousin was much worse than him. From what she heard, the girl rips at every party and then drags them to the room, the rest did not have to end.  
— Tell her that if she does not come, I will go to her and pull her out by force — in the distance she heard his girlfriend's cries.  
— No, and another against me — she sighed at the thought that the blonde is getting into their mutual friend.  
She could hear the sounds of a shuffle on the other side, after a moment the receiver picked up her good friend.  
— Julia, do not upset me, you're coming with us, because Selena will not let you live.  
— Do we have to complete every game as it is organized — she sighed, leaning on a dark chair, dropping one of the pencils she was drawing from her hand.  
— We are young, then they will come to study  
— More events — she murmured.  
— Hush — she scolded her — Then we'll go to work, family, children and home. Young must be fun in this life — she was excited.  
— Okay. I will be up to an hour — she capitulated.  
She did not want to argue with them because she knew she would lose their little verbal battle. Waking something that would not let her finish painting again, she left everything on the desk to be ready.  
Going down the lit steps, she wore a denim jacket over her shoulders, pulling her undulating hair out from underneath. Another Friday and next fun. She had to say that from the moment her brother was not at home, she still included some games or parties in her friends' homes. Mike laughed that on Friday nights he might forget to get her out for some dancing. She promised him every time that he would go with him next time which, of course, he was not there. Putting her favorite built-in heels on her feet, she heard the opening of the door as she sat on the dresser, putting on her second shoe, and slightly stooped Shinoda on the threshold. When he noticed her in the dress and party makeup, he sighed only, nodding his head depressively.  
— I swear the next time I'm going to throw you the phone out the window so that in one Friday you only have you for yourself — she smiled at his rather selfish words.  
— Next time I will throw him into the pool and I will do everything for you — she promised, leaving.  
— I hold you for the word — he shouted after her, before she disappeared behind the slightly open gate.  
She loved the relationships that prevailed between them, they could be direct to each other even by hooking on enough persistent allusions, but they never lost their good taste in them, and they always treated themselves with respect.  
Finally she reached one of the family houses where on the porch she could see the lights on, and the music was already thumping in the yard. She entered through the open front door, squeezing in front of a fairly large group of students who stood in the hallway. Driven by the sounds of resonant music, she reached the living room, where she found her friends from her yearbook playing well, but also a year younger. She tried to find her friends but she did not see her faces anywhere. She went to the table, which was pledged with snacks and drinks, she grabbed a cup and poured herself a cola. She did not feel like having fun on a dip in the middle of now. She got outside with a plastic cup in her hand, stepping out onto the garden-lit lanterns. She paused to the side, taking a sip of the cool substance, watching the best friends playing.  
— I thought you would not show up anymore — this voice could be found at the end of the world.  
Suddenly, she felt the two arms around her waist, wincing at the touch that almost burned her. She hated anyone embracing someone in such a familiar way, especially the person she did not know or did not like. She put the drink down on the wooden table turning her back on the floor, looking at Emerald's emerald eyes. She grabbed his hands from her waist, pushing him away from him.  
— Take this hand away from me! — she growled.  
She watched with alarm as to how a slightly drunk boy wanted to approach her, she knew that if there was such a necessity, he would certainly put him on, because she did not intend to go with him.  
— Do not play such inaccessible beauty — he murmured in a seductive voice, slowly approaching her dangerously.  
— I told you something, Agreste! — She grasped his wrist in a firm grip as he tried to touch her in a rather intimate place. She clenched her hand in a fist as her anger grew even more when she realized that it was not the best idea to agree to this game — You'll try to touch me again, and I will not only do a recital, but a concert — then she swung herself hitting go straight into the nose.  
Blond hissing softly in pain, staggering backwards. She saw that she had attracted the attention of many outside colleagues. She did not see how light-haired she fell to the ground, still holding her wounded place.  
— What are you looking at, you have no other matters! — She called to the community that was looking at all of it — If anybody wants to put up with me, it will look worse than he does — she pointed at the blonde sitting on the ground.  
Ignoring the students' exchanging remarks, she squeezed between him and the exit. She knew that it would end badly, why she was persuaded. She could spend the evening in Michael's more friendly company. She got out to the driveway where she spotted her friends.  
— Are you leaving? — Nathan wondered, embracing his girlfriend with his arm.  
For less than a week, he and Emily were officially together, but they knew well that it was only a matter of time when they would declare their relationship legal under youth law  
— Yes, a bastard caught my skin — she said, not looking forward to further explanations.  
She did not want to tell them what had happened just moments ago, she just did not want to, but she also thought that it would not happen to them. The girls tried to persuade her to stay, but she refused categorically. She had one goal, spend the rest of the evening with Shinoda. She said goodbye to her friends, coming back the same way again.  
After twenty minutes, she found herself at the door of her house, stepped inside, taking off her black high boots, cursing under her breath on the subject of not complying with her by young Agreste. She went into the living room where she found Mike, who looked at her surprised that she had come back earlier.  
— I'm never going to a party for these morsels again! — She screamed, ending her five-minute monologue, curses and insults to her cousins.  
Nervously, she pulled her jacket off her shoulders and threw it back in her chair. She fell on the couch next to a man who waited patiently for her anger to fall down with questions about her so violent reactions. She took a deep breath to let her relax a little and allow her anger to leave her. She repeated this action several times when she managed to control her nerves, she said after a long silence.  
— Mike, be nice next time and when I tell you that I'm going to go to Agreste'a play, put me, but so good — she ordered, looking at the music.  
— I can stop you, but I will never hit you — he said, one question still falling on his lips.  
He wanted to find out what had happened, but did he want to anger her more? She was still nervous, but the curiosity that fluttered in his chest was enormous. He decided, however, not to ask what went on, but he surprised him when the teenager started talking.  
— How can you not understand the word of opposition. What kind of idiot you have to be to go to a girl who clearly does not want to — she said without being calm.  
— Did he contact you?  
— How would you guess — she said pissed — What a h...  
He did not interrupt her when she wanted to live on a boy who did not respect her privacy. It was clearly evident that he would never win her confidence it was not possible after today's incidents. He did not pay attention to the fact that his friend was disgusted by the touch of his friend.  
He did not understand then that this one incident might lead him to the truth earlier than he would get to it after many complications.


	30. TOM 1— REBEL : 29 — IT'S TIME TO FORGET ABOUT CHILDHOOD

She took cautious steps to go slowly down the bright steps of the villa lit with LED lights. Tapping the square with her beard, she stared at the tablet screen, not noticing the man standing in the kitchen entrance, with a mug of steaming tea. He watched her intently as she paused in the middle of the living room, unconsciously turned her back to him, and he could see in the distance the shade of bright blue, and the glaring whiteness of the social networking site. He had the impression that being absorbed in checking his friends' entries, no outside stimuli were reaching her.  
He smiled under his breath as he put the dark dish on the bar. He sensed that his friend would be angry with him again for wanting to make her another pleasant surprise, but he could not resist temptation when she was blissfully ignorant of his presence in the salon, staring at the electronic gadget.  
He defeated the distance between them slowly, taking care not to make any noise, but he did not have to bother, because the teenager ignored everything that was going on around her. Gently, he put his hands on her thin waist. She shuddered, scared, almost fell out of her hand. He grabbed a device flying down, protecting it from falling. She did not move away when he rested his chin on her shoulder.  
— Do not scare me like that anymore! — complained, putting the electronic toy on the table.  
She turned in his arms to look deep into his brown eyes, the corner of his mouth rose up, and she sensed in him a note of a joker whom he loved to be.  
— I told you, it's stronger than me — he replied evasively.  
He felt like he was gently laying his small hands on his chest. He was prepared for a rejection on her part that he would move away from him, but he was still in his grip as if it did not interfere with this familiarity. He could see that it had long been interrupted by the closeness that divided them, as if she had lost her obsession even when she had to give her hand. With him, she felt relaxed and did not feel uncomfortable with his presence.  
— Do not make fun of me! Admit it, you love doing it — she said, stabbing him gently on the chest.  
He mingled a bit at her words, but he did not let her out of his arms, and he could see the shadow of joy, hiding behind her blue irises, concealing his burst of laughter, taking on a serious expression.  
— And if my answer is yes, then what will you do? — puzzled, he looked deep into her bright irises, trying to read anything from them, but he saw nothing in them except a covered joy that she scrupulously concealed.  
— I know she sounds, I suppose — she replied in a strangled voice, hugging her cool cheek against his collarbone, and a soft fragrance of his perfume wrapped around her.  
She closed her eyelids, enjoying the pleasant feeling that overwhelmed her body, it was too good to move away from him. Was it possible that almost the less than two months they had spent with each other could feel an even stronger bond? She treated him as a faithful friend, but with time something in her perception changed, she began to notice features that she should not pay attention to. It was too attractive to simply give up. Was it normal that at times she missed his touch, even with a simple hug, but nevertheless she wanted to come up to him and just hug him? The rational part of her refused to think about delving into the sweetness of the kiss, to get to know the taste of his lips again, to forget about the world around them, to feel at least as happy and desirable as at the evening after the opening of the works. She suppressed the cravings she was growing in her, to keep her sense of reasonable thinking, which stubbornly told her to forget about any love elation, to stifle within her, what was born in her heart, fought everything that was associated with love and devotion to the other person. He kept telling her that she was doing it for her own sake so that she would not feel resentful or humiliated in any way just because she gave in to feelings and did not fight for herself. But she did not have a heart of stone, if it were, she would not enjoy the moment of his presence. She ignored the pleasant shiver of excitement that enveloped her body when she could feel his touch for a moment. My heart did not get angry at any moment when she could see him. However, she had to be a strong person, she did not want to make mistakes that contributed to the breakdown of her previous relationships, only because she trusted each of them too early, did not recognize them enough to build their mutual relationship on a solid foundation that will not shrink on the escarpment straight to the bottomless pit.  
In it, however, there was something else, something unique, which meant that she did not have the prejudices she felt at her previous acquaintances, she had no idea what was in it, but he made her feel that she might not hurt her, or even on the contrary, she would give her what she missed most.  
She gave in to the touch, gently stroking her on the back, suppressing the murmur of satisfaction growing in her chest, which he wanted to leave her slightly open mouth at all costs.  
— What are you going to do now? — his voice pulled her out of the depths of his mind, painfully bringing to the ground.  
She sagged away from him, wrinkling her forehead slightly, not fully understanding his words, but the more she looked at him, she began to comprehend what was going on in his mind. She laughed softly, taking off his hands that rested comfortably on her sides. She grabbed the tablet dropped on a glass tabletop, settling herself comfortably on the couch, put her feet on the table, unlocking the device again.  
— I just talked with Chester — she started when she felt that one of the pillows beside her bends under someone's weight. She did not even have to look up to know that Michael sat next to her.  
— How is he? — he asked.  
— As it is on the road, rehearsals, concerts, meetings with fans — she looked up at him, replying to the message of her friend — You know it.  
— When is he coming back?  
— He said that in about two weeks, apparently some performances have shifted.  
— Perfect for your birthday.  
She completely forgot about her eighteenth birthday. She had been waiting for this day with great anticipation, wanting to leave the orphanage as soon as possible, she did not care what kind of place she would find, her only purpose was to get out of which she was afraid. Now that her life had changed, which she had longed for, she did not pay attention to her feast. She had never celebrated him specially, not even her guardians boasted of making her ordinary wishes, with age she was simply used to it, that there was no one who could put these stupid formulas into her. She experienced this holiday in solitude when she was a child, she dreamed of a boisterous play, sempertines hanging from the ceiling, colorful balloons scattered on the ground, or a suspended stone, which she could to kill. She saw her every classmate experiencing such games organized by their parents, then they could talk excitedly about how well they were having fun. She always stood in the corner listening to this with heartache and tears in her eyes. However, each subsequent year, he taught her to be indifferent, because he would never survive such a game. Then, as a teenager, she remembers well how girls, invited her friends to a party, and she remained passive.  
— Are you planning something for an eighteenth?  
She jerked her head up, hearing his quiet voice, catching his dark eyes to notice a clear interest in them. She just shrugged, looking away.  
— I'm not going to do anything — she said indifferently — I do not celebrate my birthday!  
— Are you kidding right now? — She heard his slightly raised voice, in which she sensed nervousness.  
She felt her fingers tighten on her chin and forced her to look at him. She fled a look, but he was unyielding, he told himself that it was her next joke, because he could not believe that she managed to forget about this one special day of the year.  
— No, Mike, this is not a joke — she said in a firm voice — I have not celebrated this stupid holiday since I was a child, because what for? You'll explain why I should try, since no one will even lay my foolish wishes. It does not matter to me, it's a day like every year that does not stand out, only because it gives me years — she murmured with indifference in her voice.  
He sat in the chair, not knowing what to say. He saw that she felt stupid to say that she did not intend to celebrate one of the most important births in her life. They had to change her attitude about celebrating important days of the year, because her indifference is becoming depressing. He did not blame her for this state of affairs. It was not her fault that nobody showed her that you could enjoy the trifles.  
— Do not even try to get Chester to organize something — she added dryly, breaking out of his grasp. She rose from the couch, slowly climbing the apartment level — I do not want a birthday! — She turned over her shoulder and he saw sorrow in her bright gaze, mingling with pain.  
He remained alone with a confusion in his head. Perhaps this girl was hard on the ground and did not succumb to stupid fate, but he would not allow her to let the years in which she lived without someone's support bounce her off to such an extent that she would feel it until the end of her days.  
He got up from the couch, looking around carefully for the phone lost in the living room. He found him lying on the edge of the fireplace. He grabbed his hands, unlocking the screen, which displayed a dozen notifications from various social networks. He did not read them, leaving them for later. He chose Julia's brother's number while waiting for the call. He hoped he would pick up and be able to talk to him. When the fifth signal was heard, he was about to break the connection, on the other side Bennington's voice rang:  
— Hi, Mike  
— Hey, do you have time to talk?  
He could hear the sound of conversations on the other side and no clear screams of technical service. He should respect the teenager's opinion, but this time he had to break the promises he did not really make.  
— I have, but in twenty minutes I have to go to the concert — he explained, and the sounds on his side weak, as if he were moving away from the little confusion that prevailed behind the scenes.  
— It will not take me too much time.

Sitting at the kitchen bar, he stared at the blanked screen of his smartphone. After talking with Chester he was more and more convinced about his decision, and his friend only confirmed his words. However, he had to wait for his return, because mainly he wanted to explain what he was going to do. He sighed quietly, setting the device down on a clear table.  
Climbing the steps of the house, he wanted to pull the teenager out of the bedroom. She already spent all day working on her drawings and completing school assignments. He was not going to let this misunderstanding ruin their evening. He reached the known door, knocked softly, waiting for the invitation, which he received. He defeated the door, entering a lighted bedroom. Hanging lights above the bed and the cupboard, on which the panels' collections stood, and many volumes of novels, brightened up with a purple glow, which recently often set the eighteen-year-old as the dominant color. He looked around carefully, looking for the look of a patchwork. Then in his eyes he threw a swivel chair turned to the door, a quiet melody filling the whole room, and he could not see what his friend was doing. He came quietly to her to face her. She sat huddled on a leather seat, her eyes dulled by the deluminated garden. When he caught her gaze, he did not see any anger or frustration in them but only emptiness. There was a flash in her blue eyes that always accompanied her.  
— Do you think this is a solution? — he asked, drowning the sound of strings of a jerky guitar — Julia can understand your bitterness, but do you really have to live in the past, or whenever we ask you to enjoy something. Do you have to ponder every bad moment? For a long moment this is not a solution, because a day will come that you will lose yourself in your own life. She will try to find the beginning of these multiplying problems, and you will not find him — he said calmly, he felt her burning look at himself, but he remained sure of his words — Making mistakes is a human thing, but the most important thing is to forgive yourself. You must finally find the lost part of yourself that escapes you.  
— But... — she wanted to stop him, but he did not let her come to a word.  
— You can not still look behind you, failures or mistakes of others that have happened to you in the past, can not reflect on the present — he straightened up, then went to the dressing table, where he grabbed a small mirror that was left on a bright table, then he knelt down again in front of her — Look in the mirror — he ordered.  
He saw her, her hands gently boring as she grasped the slightly decorated handle of the crooked mirror, hesitantly looked at her reflection.  
— Who do you see in him?  
The question that hung over her head made a lot of thoughts run through her mind. What does he see in himself? She saw a completely different girl. She did not see in her blue eyes the still fear and anxiety that she kept plaguing her, the stigma of the past which gave her, her descriptions, as if disappeared under the mantle of many joys. She recovered her brother, the family she thought was lost, she had great friends who, despite their brief acquaintance, were ready to follow her into the fire and adoptive brothers whom she loved almost as her own family. What do you want more from life? She had everything she cared about, peace and consciousness that she would not greet the next morning with anxiety in her breasts, and one of her worries was the reluctance to get up early. So many things have changed in just six months. She was about to take it away, worrying about the past, which was still intruding on her. She had plans for the future that she intended to pursue. Studies that previously seemed to her distant desire were slowly at her fingertips. What else did she want? The only thing that she wanted now is this fulfilled love. She earned her different character, the personality she lost, returned to her, to make her good qualities come to the front, and leave everything negative behind her.

— Real yourself — she whispered, after a moment of dilemma.  
— You see — a gentle smile on his lips, made her in a little embarrassment that she reacted so abruptly to such an inconspicuous thing — It took just six months to become a real self, without a mask where you pretend, how you feel, or yours the word is devoid of feelings. What once happened can not continue to govern your life — he said with a slight smile — Now come on, we'll do something for supper because I'm starving!  
He stood up again, took a step forward, but felt his grip on his wrist, felt a jerk, turned back in surprise, meeting the bright color of the ocean of eyes he so admired.  
— Thank you — she whispered.  
— Do not thank me, thank himself.  
He took her hand in a warm embrace, quickly left the bedroom bathed in bright light, pulling a slightly stunned teenager behind him, but for a long time she did not remain in this state when she almost collapsed on one of the steps under the influence of Michael so abrupt. However, he protected her quickly before a close encounter with the floor, when he embraced her at the waist and went quietly down to the amusement of the high school student.  
— Are we doing this today? — He asked as Julia slipped into the kitchen counter, her feet falling freely on the dark cupboards.  
— Honestly? I have no idea — she muttered, browsing the Internet in search of something tasty, but after a long moment did not notice anything interesting - We do croissants - she suddenly said, not wanting to invent clever dishes.  
Leaping from the kitchenette, she disappeared behind the pantry hidden behind the fridge. She searched the shelves for a French pastry, but she could not see him anywhere. She was sure, however, that she had not made any fragile biscuits recently, and one more pack should remain. Finally, she found them on the last shelf, with small difficulties she reached the dough.  
— Recently I'm fascinated with French cuisine — she emerged from her hiding, when her friend's voice attacked her.  
She just shrugged her shoulders, unfolding the raw cake on the table. When preparing a delicacy that they love to engulf the French. However, it was not without a scuffle or a typical battle with flour in the main role. When the croissants took on color in the oven, two charming idols stood in the middle of the kitchen.

He turned restlessly to the other side, trying again to summon the king of dreams. But all his efforts went to waste, when something effectively did not allow him to squint. The feeling that disturbed him smashed in his chest, preventing him from returning to his dreams. He sighed slightly resigned. He threw away the dark, rubbing aside, putting bare feet on the cold panels of the room, hid his face in his hands, not knowing what was happening to him. Anxiety did not accompany him too often, so he felt slight fears that he could not ignore. However, he still could not say what made him feel this condition.  
He shuddered, scared as he loudly ripped through a year's night, leaping from the soft mattress. He ran out of the bedroom, praying that he would find a teenager sleeping peacefully in her own bed. When he saw the room door ajar, he stopped for a moment, rushed inside, trying to find a seventeen-year-old girl, but nowhere could he see her. He went out into the corridor, ignoring the dim lights in the hallway, jumped down, calling a high school student, but she was as if deaf to his words.  
Eventually he saw her, stood by one of the kitchen cupboards, and what even more disturbed him was the blade shimmering in the light of a lit lamp in the living room. She clenched her fingers on the knife's black handle, but he could not see her blue eyes, could not see the fear that wrapped her heart, slowly spreading over her body, destroying her more and more. She clenched her hands more tightly on the blade sheath, when her mind attacked her with panic, and the image began to blur, letting her in the darkness and every evil omen that was in her subconscious, attacking her more and more brutally. She suppressed a cry of terror growing in her dog, as her unusually abundant imagination shed some images of oozing blood, the sight of which she feared the most.  
— Julia — Shinoda's soft voice came from a distance — Please, do not move — He tried to keep his voice calm, not to lead the teenager to greater insanity; he slowly approached her, wanting to take a sharp tool from her hand. but his plans were a little frayed when he saw her step back, even more strengthening her grip on the black blade.  
— Or what? What are you going to do to me? — she said in a sharp voice — You know what, nothing worse and will not meet me any more — she growled, still unaware of her deeds.  
— You do not think rationally. Please, give me the knife.  
However, she was still stuck in the bittersweetness of her nightmares, which slowly gained her advantage over her. As if she was still dreaming. Her eyes did not express any emotion, they were empty space, and smoldering feelings of fear had disappeared, as if she had never appeared.  
— Please, Julia — he tried to take a few steps toward her again. She did not retreat, made no move, stared at him, with an unsettling emptiness in a blue gaze.  
—No! — she shouted panicked.  
Taking advantage of her moment of inattention, he found himself beside her, took a sharp tool from her clenched hand, throwing it away, did not worry about where he was, the most important thing for him was that Julia would not do anything stupid. He did not forgive himself if he could not react in time and protect her from hurting herself.  
— Look at me — he ordered.  
He saw her slowly, her consciousness returning, she felt her body tremble, but not a drop of salt water poured down her pale cheeks. Fearful, she looked up to catch his dark irises, feared disappointment or anger in them, she felt it every time she could not manage her mind and let him control her, let herself be pushed against the scruffy paws of her demons what she was most afraid of. She tried to fight it, but there were days when it was stronger than she and she simply gave in because she had no strength to fight what tormented her.  
The next moment she had the impression that the city was sliding down from under her feet, she sank to her knees, feeling her shoulders tremble with emotion. She felt Michael's arms, which tightened tightly on her waist, as if he was afraid that he would soon collapse, he wanted to protect her from the loss of her actions.  
— Do not do this anymore — he whispered softly, in her ear, as she confidently nestled into his arms, concealing her face in his collarbone.  
Only now did she feel the tears flowing down her cheeks slowly, which were hidden deep inside her, let me know. Each subsequent attack was finishing her more and more, and she did not know how to deal with them, she had no idea where to find a solution to what is tormenting her so much. She had thought earlier that all these anxieties were caused by fear, which was her inseparable friend, but he had passed away in the past few months. What could have contributed to his poor condition? She could not explain it.  
She was not sure when, she was in her bedroom, laid out on a soft bedding, she felt many pillows under her head, in which she loved to sink. As if she could see Mike, she sat on the edge of the mattress, looking at her with worried eyes. She knew the expression of his eyes too well every time he managed to stop her by doing harm to her in a fit of panic and fear, which calmed her down and allowed her to calm down.  
She saw him, like a man, fall asleep from the bed with the intention of returning to himself. She clenched her hand on his wrist, looked over her shoulder to see her almost pleading look.  
— Stay — she muttered softly, he felt a gentle jerking, as if asking him to lie down next to her.  
He gazed for a long moment into her sea eyes, then settled himself on comfortable cushions, letting the girl cuddle him, long for him, forget about the recent incident. He put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer together.

If she thought so far that the days when Chester once again came up with the ingenious idea of waking her by pouring a literal bucket of iced water on her, they were the worst motives in her life. She had to pay him honor. Recognizing that his attempts to get her out of bed did not affect her as stimulatingly as this one phone, after which she wanted to destroy a person who was getting to her at seven o'clock in the morning.z  
She should say that the morning promised to be great. The glow of the sky shining above the horizon crept in through the curtains of her bedroom, warming her closed eyelids with her glare. She shifted uneasily, feeling the unpleasant warmth on her face, she clung firmly to Michael, who was sleeping by her side, who unknowingly in her sleep strengthened her grip on her waist, bringing her closer to her body. She dreamed it would continue, were it not for the sound of the rhythmic melody that was spreading in her room, which stubbornly drilled her hole in her brain with her persistent exhortation. The sound of the suppressing moan echoed through the bright walls. She opened her heavy eyelids, trying to locate the source of her tormenting music. She found a hand on the phone that vibrated on her bedside table, brightening the screen on which the unknown number was displaying. She frowned, seeing a sequence of unknown numbers she had seen for the first time in her life. She did not remember herself giving her contact to someone unfamiliar. There was a small murmur of dissatisfaction to her ears, and from the corner of her eye she looked at the man still hugged at her. She moved the green telephone handset across the square, putting the phone to her ear:  
— I'm listening, who's talking? — she tried to control the fear trembling in her chest, because her previous experiences were ready for literally everything.  
She was full of anxiety when she heard on the other side some stifled sounds that she could not distinguish or recognize. Everything was mixed together, but when the voice that made her frustrated came to her, she began to regret that she had not thrown the phone out the window.  
— You do not recognize me, Princess — The sound of Cassian's classane voice, Agreste, made her furious.  
— Agreste! Where did you get my number? — She almost screamed, what Shinoda was still waking to wake up.  
He stood up on his elbows to get a look of surprise at the teenager sitting next to her, her face pale clearly when she talked with the boy who had seized her for the next victim, only to take her to bed for a passionate night, then abandon her as non-existing thing.  
— There are ways to love — he said in a seductive voice.  
The frustration turned into a rage when she listened to the boy who was choking on her again. Nervous she broke free of her friend. She broke from the soft bedding. The cool wind that came through the open balcony window made her feel a cold shudder. She grabbed the bedspread lying on the crook, the cell still attached to her ear, threw delicate material on her exposed shoulders.  
— What do you want? — She snarled at the receiver, moving restlessly around the bedroom.  
— What is this? — the pretended tone of surprise reflected on her mind, mumbled further insults towards the blonde, she waited for her to tell her what she demanded of her — I would like to see without a shirt, and preferably without clothes — her face faded even more when the overwhelmed desire to murder, replaced panic.  
— You ... you just called me to pick me up again — she screamed, and rage spread over her body, like the poison slowly destroying every corner of the soul.  
— Honey, do not be so stubborn I know you want it — Through the eyes of her imagination, she could see the sweetness of his smile that flowed across his lips.  
Seeing this distraught musician, he was right next to her. Before he could do anything, her tone of voice increased even more.  
— You better not show up at school today! — she shouted to the phone — You will regret this phone Adrien, I promise you! — She refrained herself with the insults pressing on her lips.  
She had to keep calm and cool, because this boy just waited for a moment, until he lost his patience, as if purposefully wanted to lead her to the moment of collapse, so that she would beg him, but he started playing with the wrong person. She considered his philitan's attempts harmless, but now she had more and more apprehensions about his next moves. If he managed to get her contact number, what would be his next point on the list of the most inaccessible teens in school?  
He wanted a war, he would get a battle that he will not forget. She did not intend to play with him in his silly games, let alone play according to his rules, now introduces her own rules into their rivalry and she now takes over the controls.  
She was irritated at the thought that apart from the self-proclaimed blonde who had taken aim to make her life miserable and ruin her reputation among her schoolmates, she would now have a girl's heart on the stump with a breaker.  
She thought that this last year of school would survive without major scandals or arguments, as in the previous high school, but she was wrong. She wondered what her fate had tormented her, that she had to endure friends who sometimes acted like children. She rejected the call, she was not aware of what she was doing when she lifted the phone, as if the subconscious told her to smash him against the nearby wall. However, she felt a firm grip on her wrist. Looking in her eyes, she encountered the dark color of the young man's eyes, which prevented her from damaging her bright walls and, consequently, from smashing the phone from which she was sure to have parts.  
— I will destroy him! — raged — He was astonished me — ran away from the rise, leaving the room, leaving stupid music in the middle of the bedroom with a small confusion in his head.  
He sighed quietly, then followed in the footsteps of his friend's sister as he stood on the brightly lit corridor, the water rushed, drowning the teenagers leaving the mouth of the curses. He did not know much about the intruder Julie had tormented, he knew his name, knowing that he was a class charmer who had been hugging young Bennington for some time. Effectively wanting to finish your plan, which was unknown to him. Every time the girl asked what he wanted, the blond asked her not to inquire the truth and live in blissful ignorance. However, knowing the nature of this teenager, he could guess what irritated the little girl, which was boiling with anger every time she had the unpleasantness to see him and what worse to meet.  
A refreshing shower somewhat cooled her negative emotions, but not enough to give up the plan to continue her revenge plan. She rolled the glass shower door, grabbing the fluffy towel hanging on the hook. She wrapped it around her naked body, approached the mirror that was built into the wall, examined her reflection, there was no trace of the bright blue of the ocean, replaced the dark night grenade, she was not often in that condition, but every time she saw it, it was frozen the desire to hurt in the brightness of her bright eyes gave the impression that nothing could prevent her from reaching her goal. She grabbed a dryer lying on one of the shelves to connect her to the electricity in a sweeping motion. She quickly dried her long hair, which she stapled into a careless coca, she returned to the bedroom, wanting to get ready for school as soon as possible. She sat down at the dresser, did not like doing makeup, but she had to cover up the effects of a badly slept night that she did not mention well. She was already fed up with intensifying attacks, with time she noticed that they were getting more frequent, which worried her. But she could not think about it anymore, she pulled out a black eraser, and long brown hair poured down her shoulders, gently combing it and plunging it into a long braid that she dropped over her shoulder.  
She took an elegant T-shirt from the inside of a large wardrobe, which she did not put on too often. A blouse with a shade of milky coffee, the cut of which ended with a black collar by the neck, it matched it perfectly, grabbed black pants hung on a nearby hanger, hastily put on each other quiet, by the way looking for pins that she hid inside the wardrobe. She glanced briefly at her watch as she threw her necessary things into her bag, began her lessons in exactly thirty minutes. She ran out of the room, grabbing a portable phone charger along the way, the clatter of her heels echoing through the walls of the apartment as she ran down the bright steps, colliding in the passage with Michael. She could smell the subtle scent of sea and mint, which she adored, but she did not go deep into her dreams, which tempted her to approach him and hug him. She could not think about it any more, though she wanted it so badly. She said goodbye to a friend, running out of the house, not intending to eat a decent breakfast. She did not even know when she reached the high school walls. She hoped to find a girl who was very much needed at the moment. Crossing the school corridors, she smiled with satisfaction when she saw a classmate in the distance with black-haired hair with navy blue reflections. She sat on one of the benches, bending over her sketchbook.  
— I was looking for you — she said in the beginning, when she saw a high school student, raising her piercing violet eyes that were incredibly rare, but they were always amazing.  
— What is going on? — she asked, slipping a pencil between the sheets of paper, then closed her notebook adorned with her own letter of the name, around which a floral motif spread.  
— It's about that moron Agreste — he explains at the beginning.  
The face of a seventeen—year—old girl turned red and it was not because of her blush and rage that spread over her body. She dropped her beloved book, with designs, from her knees, then stood up violently from the bench, approaching dangerously close to her, Julia had the impression that she would immediately hit her, knew the girl's situation well and was aware that she would be harmed soon. Hearing the name of her former friend, and also a boy to whom she felt more than just a friendly relationship in the junior high school years, she was convinced that her youthful infatuation would end with a catastrophe, because she was afraid to admit to the boy about her feelings when she gathered the courage to to tell him how he really is, he's weighing on her, he dismissed her in front of the whole school, exposing her to ridicule. She had no one, not even a friend, to confide in her, she only thought how to survive these last months of school, but her salvation turned out to be the parents' departure to the United States, which changed the gymnasium and broke all contacts with the old life. Fate, however, decided to punish her when at the beginning of high school she saw a boy in the school walls, from which she had to escape to the end of the world. At that time, she cursed her unfortunate fate that she allowed him to so vexe and was condemned to the company of a blonde with whom she had to share school benches.  
— Regarding him, I do not care much — she said mockingly.  
— Do you want to get revenge on him? — she asked quietly.  
— You ask me seriously about such things, I will do everything to let me come for a moment felt what I was — a delicate smile full of satisfaction brightened the faces of both high school girls.  
They spent the rest of their spare time devising a plan of revenge, which aimed at discrediting the boy and destroying his enthusiasm for conquering other girls who succumbed to his charm, letting him enlist in his apartment so that they could spend a passionate night with him, and then remain to have a broken heart that the boy would tread well.  
A few minutes before the bell she found her friends sitting in front of the English class, talking fiercely about irrelevant things, she joined the conversation, not noticing Agreste approaching in the direction of her. The smile that lurked at the corners of his mouth was even bigger, unnoticed he approached her, taking care that her friends would not betray her secret that he was standing right behind her. He came in behind her, gently embracing her waist, bringing her closer to his torso. She shuddered, frightened, turning over her shoulder, meeting the bright eyes of her rival's cat's eyes. She pressed her lips into a narrow line, wanting to break free of his arms, but he was stronger than her, he held her in a firm grip, he saw disgust in her bright gaze, which immediately dimmed.  
— Let me go! She growled furiously as his hands tightened on her stomach.  
— You do not treat your prince like this... — he muttered in a slightly hoarse voice.  
— He'll show you how he treats knights on a white horse — she said in a slightly lowered tone.  
She turned in his arms, a gentle smile adorning her face, she approached the boy unnoticed, she sat with satisfaction as she closed her eyes, ready to kiss her, but he did not predict the next move of the girl who was spontaneous enough that he was not able to stop him. Using her position, she bent her knee, then raised it, striking the blonde in a quite intimate place. A small hiss of pain reached her, she freed herself from his embrace, and watched with satisfaction as the boy staggered backwards, clutching his sore place. It looked extremely hilarious when he leaned against a nearby wall, holding his abdomen.  
— Congratulations! I regret that I did not get him that way — She looked away, meeting the blue eyes of a classmate she talked to for a few minutes.  
— You still have a chance — she said, nailing the girl to the turtle.  
Teenagers' friends surrounded both high school girls, unable to stop the outburst of joy that flowed at them, after a while the hall filled their joy as they watched the limping boy. Particular satisfaction was shown by the girls who once became his victims and now healed their broken hearts. They began to hope for young Bennington that she opposed him and did not let him overcome his charms, and what made them even happier was the discredit of young Agreste in front of the majority of the class.  
Julia got out of the small crowd that had arisen around her, she approached silently up to eighteen. She grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her.  
— Listen to me, dear, he gave you a warning at the party with your cousin. You did not listen to me, I could be mean and not give you the damn second chance you get from me now. I let you make a choice. You leave me and other girls or deprive you of dignity in front of the whole school. Honey, that's your choice — she finished, and her lips lifted in a gesture of triumph.  
— Bitch — he hissed, through clenched teeth.  
She had enough of that, she grabbed him harder by the front of her shirt, she did not control her next movements, when she was stroking her, she was on his nose. No one will insult her, her insults addressed to her were heard enough in her life. She already had enough of them! She released the fabric of his shirt from his clenched hand, and the blond staggered back, holding his bleeding nose.  
— You missed your chance — she screamed.  
— You will still be mine!  
However, before it could lead to an inferior situation, the teacher's loud voice spread across the school corridor, interrupting any disputes or quarrels. The students who had been cheering her up so far immediately fell silent as the professor walked confidently. He stopped, glancing at the small crowd and the teenager who was limping against the wall and a red-faced teenager who could have killed his face at the moment. She rested her hands from side to side, peering at her rival with narrowed eyelids, suggesting that he would sit quietly, or else she would be more attracted to her. She was not aware that the boy was not going to play.  
— What is going on here? — he thundered, recalling the students to order.  
She watched carefully as the boy's face, a smile full of fake, and strange sparkles brighten his emerald eyes, it did not foretell anything good, and worse she would become a provocateur of this whole adventure, not a beaten young man. She chewed her cheek nervously from the inside, cursing her impetuous nature in a spirit and making herself so easily provoked.  
— Julia attacked me —Adrien complained.  
— Is it true? — his raw tone pierced her through. She moved uneasily under the influence of his intense gaze, but she tried to be composed, did not want her eyes to express any fear or anxiety that was in her heart.  
— A lie! — she was indignant when the professor focused his eyes on him - He touched me against my will, I only defended myself!  
The teacher sighed quietly, opened the studio door, ordering the students to enter. He went through the class, putting the diary on his desk, correcting the crooked glasses on the nasal base, and then resting his hands on the dark countertop.  
— Julia, Adrien, to me — he ordered as the third-graders took their seats.  
Reluctantly, she put the bag back on her chair, went to the educator who measured them with the look of his dark irises.  
— I will not tolerate such behavior towards my students. You have to go to the director immediately and explain it — She shuddered at his sharp tone.  
She looked at the blonde, who gave her a satisfied smile, and then, as if nothing had happened, he passed between the benches, leaving the classroom. Reluctantly, he measured his steps, feeling like anger, even more buzzing at her. She thought that the morning was the worst, but the beginning of the classes turned out to be a nightmare.

She slammed the door of the apartment with impetus, almost tore her school bag off her shoulder, throwing it carelessly at the corner, she cared nothing but the recent conversation with the headmaster of the high school. The educator was not a bit pleased with the quarrel between two young pupils, she tried to find out who started the conflict, but Adrien did not behave even then dishonest, lying to her lively, accusing her that he was the perpetrator of all this confusion, there were no attempts at all defense, when she translated for a good two hours, that she is only a victim of this provocateur, and she hit him because the boy has no idea what personal space means. From their first encounter, the boy did not evoke any positive feelings for her, and more disgust, which eventually turned into anger.  
— What happened? — She looked up at Shinoda's soft voice.  
Watching him behind him, she saw him standing in the kitchen leaning on a kitchenette, still wearing his favorite, dusty jacket. Probably not long ago he came home, he was disturbed by the teenager's condition. She stood in the middle of the room, with gentle flushes on her cheeks, hair that had previously tangled in her braids, now lived her own life, and there was no trace of the old haircut. Her hands clenched into a fist, her knuckles dangerously white. He had an unimpressed impression that he would destroy something or throw himself at him with his fists. He had not seen Julia so much so far, even if she was angry, her condition was not as violent as it is now.  
— Nothing! — she growled furiously.  
She went to the fridge and threw open the door, taking out the lemonade. She pulled on the glasses standing on the top cupboard, she wanted to grab her, but her hands, still shaky with her nervousness, could not hold her between her fingers. She slid out between her hands, falling onto the counter, crushing one of the shores, then fell on the bright floor.  
— Shit — she yelled as a shard of glass grazed her hand.  
Scarlet liquid flowed over her wrist, falling, dying in the material of a brown blouse. The man observed the whole situation with a gentle sigh. From the entry of the girl to the house he knew that something had to happen at school, not every day she came back so much upset. He came to her, watching the broken glass, grabbed her by the shoulders and put her in a bar chair, handing her a handkerchief, which she put to her wounded hand, told her to wait, and left the kitchen himself. He returned moments later, holding in his hands first aid kit.  
— So tell me what happened? — he asked once again, wanting to find out the truth.  
He put the gauze on, soaked the hydrogen peroxide in her hand. She hissed softly in pain, she reflexively wanted to take her hand, but strengthened her grip on her wrist, not allowing her to break free — I did not say anything anymore! — she muttered nervously.  
— If nothing happened, you would not want to hurt the first person on the spot, or crack something about a nearby wall — he explained, gently pushing the slightly bloody material away, making sure he could apply lepeic protection, but noticed that the crimson liquid was still running down after her hand, he again applied the material with the regenerating substance.  
The teenager sighed softly as her emotions slowly fell, and she managed to think rationally enough that she could draw conclusions from today's meeting with Agreste, but at the very thought blond snarled furiously, and another stream of blasphemies left her lips. Michael raised an eyebrow, listening to her malicious epithets, waiting for her explanation.  
— He set me up! I'll stay with him for the next week because it's the right punishment for provoking a fight — she recited Jennifer Stone's words.  
— What? Explain it to me calmly.  
She closed her eyes, trying to control her emotions, opened her eyelids as she felt the delicate material of the bandage that wrapped around her hand. She watched his every move carefully as he applied the material with the soothing ointment, then wrapped the dressing on her hand.  
— It all began with the morning phone, remember — he gently nodded, falling into a chair next to her, when he put the first aid kit aside — She wanted to do something to stop me from coming. I met at school with a girl who used to go to the gymnasium in Paris with him. I wanted to know something more about him, what I can do to somehow move him away and let him stop being such an asshole for other girls. I heard that he lived in France before moving to the United States. I once talked to Marinette who mentioned that when she was younger, she went to class with some blond hair, it seemed really cool, but fame and wealth made him a school king. History is irrelevant. I also wanted to get her into the plan to smear this concealer's nose. Our conflict began when I met with friends, approached me unnoticed, and the fact that I did not want him to touch me, did not care.  
— think I understand what happened next — interrupted her story.  
— I got mad at him. He admits, I could have hit him somewhere else, but I wound up — she said with a gentle blush on her face, which was only a confirmation of his guesses, how much this boy's confrontation hurt - From the word to the word we began to challenge. I could leave, but she could not stand it again, she was challenged from prostitutes — a grimace of dissatisfaction ran through her face - It ended when our group guardian appeared, sent us to the director's office, of course Agreste would not be himself if he did not take his eyes off in this way I landed with a punishment for which I did not start the argument and this blond did not even get a reminder. This is called honest judgment — she finished her story.  
— What do your colleagues say? — he asked calmly, after a moment's reflection —The headmaster did not ask them what they saw?  
— No. She said that their explanations were not necessary and she wanted to resolve them between our two.  
— I do not understand it completely - he admitted.  
For the first time he met with such a thing, since there were several students in the corridor including the girl's friends, they should explain it to the end, and leave it for later. Nobody, however, understands school law, it was really surprising.  
— You see, now I will have to work off my and his punishment — he looked around in search of the teenager's voice. He spotted her kneeling on the floor among the shards of the broken glass.  
— You do not freeze to defend yourself?  
— I tried Mike, I do not do anything — she threw the rest of the dish into the trash, hiding the sweep on the drawer under the sink — Next time I will remember, I will not let myself be bitten — she announced, leaving the room.  
He heard the sound of her footsteps bouncing against the walls of the living room, he looked at her until she disappeared down the bright stairs of the apartment, sighed softly, taking off the black fabric of her jacket.

He found in a travel bag a bunch of keys left in one of the side pockets. He pulled out engraved metals, suspended on a small rim. He turned the matching key in the lock, after a while the quiet clatter of dropped hinges rebounded in his ears. He opened the door wider, taking two packed suitcases from the driveway, pulling them into the hallway. He carefully closed the wooden wing, careful not to make unnecessary noise. He smiled in satisfaction as a gentle light emitted from the diodes in the ceiling surrounded him. He put the backpack back on his bags carelessly, scratched his head thoughtfully as a quiet sound from the depths of the house reached him. He threw his shoes off the corner carelessly, trying to understand what was happening, he was convinced that his sister and friend were already asleep. He followed the source of the noise as he stood on the threshold of the living room, noticing the brightened screen of the TV that displayed some kind of horror. He looked around carefully, trying to find the two householders. For a long time he did not have to worry when his gaze stopped on a bright couch, bathed only in the glow of a delicate glow coming out of a lamp standing on a nearby dresser.  
The sight he found there made a gentle smile appear on his tired face. Mike lay on the soft pillows spread out on the white couch, on the armrest, the blanket of the blanket was thrown away, covering only the feet of two sleeping friends. He rested his right foot on the light sofa material, so he bent it in his knee. He embraced the teenager who was sleeping on him, who unwittingly embraced him on the waist, hugging him even more. He was surprised by the sight of his sister in such a significant closeness with the musician. He knew well that even though she tolerated when he sometimes embraced her, she had moments when she would not allow herself to approach each other, and the uncertainty lurking at the corners of her eyes made her somewhat shy, but now he could clearly see that being in his arms of a young man, she felt relaxed, and the smile wandering on her raspberry lips rose gently as she covered her face in his collarbone with her breathing air.  
He did not have the strength to think about it, probably their relationship improved significantly over the two months, and the bond that joined them became a little stronger. Taking care not to wake them up, he grabbed the remote dropped on the table, switching off the still playing device. He glanced at the two quadrupeds, who slept best in front of the fireplace, in which the fire was extinguished. Climbing up the lighted stairs to the upper floor, going into his bedroom, he fell tired of the bed, not even wanting to take a shower. Morpheus effectively prevented him, as soon as he put his head to the pillow, he took him in his arms.

He murmured softly as he felt the rays tickling at him shining over the horizon of the sun, illuminating his sleepy face. Wanting to roll over on the other side, wanting to shake off the intrusive sun, he could not do it when he felt the sweet weight on his torso. He opened his eyelids gently, trying to shake off the rest of his sleep. He looked down to see the teenager sleeping on him, could not see the expression on her face when a cascade of brown hair covered her, but he felt her warm breath on his neck, he smiled slightly as he passed through his body with a pleasant thrill of such closeness. Gently he brushed the unruly strands from her forehead.  
He recalled yesterday evening when he managed to persuade an 18-year-old to a horror movie together, which was a completely bad move on his part, even after her assurances that he hated such films, but he had to put his own. However, he could not hide the fact that he liked the end of yesterday night when a scared high school student sat hugged at him, for most of the film, unable to bear the drastic scenes included in the film adaptation.  
— I see that you were having a great time without me — He looked around, a bit scared, trying to find the person who had snatched him from his light reverie.  
Looking inward, he looked toward the stairs, where Bennington was smiling slightly at the last step. He leaned against the balustrade, with his crossed hands on his chest. He descended carefully from the last step, walked to the glass table, leaning gently on him. He refrained from violent movement when he wanted to greet a long-sighted team-mate, but he did not want to wake up Julia who was still sleeping on him. He knew very well that a teenage girl would love to sleep on days off, which meant she did not wake up earlier than ten in the morning.  
— I would like to welcome you, but I will not wake her up — he murmured, looking involuntarily at the high school girl.  
He saw a sly smile sneaking at the mouth of the singer, which meant only one thing, he came up with another idea to awaken his sleepily sleeping sister. He nodded to resign from this plan, but it was too late when the cry so familiar to her still sleepy sub-consciousness had arrived.  
— Wake up!  
The frightened girl screamed, startled violently from sleep, causing her to break up too quickly, in a gesture of despair she gently grabbed Michael's shirt, trying not to fall on the floor, tightened her hands tightly on her waist, stopping her from falling off the couch.  
— Mike, I'm begging you why you have to wake me up in such a brutal way. Saturday is, and you, instead of sleeping, you prefer to tear yourself — she whined, still not noticing the amused singer, who with all his strength refrained from revealing his presence, which the teenager was not aware of.  
— If I even tried, I can not scream like that — he replied calmly.  
— Be careful, I will believe you, there is no one in the house but us — she said in a serious tone.  
— Are you sure? — the vocalist said.  
The expression on her face froze, she uncertainly turned over her shoulder, still stuck in a sweet illusion of knowledge. She looked at her brother for a long moment, saw a person out of this world. She was convinced that she would appear in about two days, as he had mentioned in the last conversation. However, she did not think about it for a long time. She got out of Shinoda's embrace, defeated the distance between them, and fell into his arms.  
She had to admit that she had missed him, missed her for two months, but she did not feel it before when she could finally see him without distance, having only the opportunity to talk through video, she felt his long absence. The previous years of living alone, without any relatives, did not worry her at all, but from the moment when Chester appeared in her life, something changed. The lost part of her soul, which she lost when she lost her family, returned again. She owed him a lot and, above all, she gained hope and faith that she buried alive.  
— When did you come back? — She asked, gently pushing away from him so that she could look at him.  
— Yesterday evening — he replied calmly — I see that there were more interesting things happening here — he added, staring at a slightly embarrassed friend who at all costs tried not to show it. He glanced at his sister, who only sighed deeply, not wanting to comment on his verbal taunt, she guessed what the singer was going through her head, but she did not intend to explain to him because she did not really have anything to do with.  
— What happened with the last performance? — she asked, sitting down at the kitchen bar, corrected the braid, which slipped from her shoulder, looking at the brother standing in the passage.  
— They canceled him for technical reasons — Bennington explained — The stadium where we were supposed to play had minor problems with the sound system. They tried to fix it quickly, but instead of improving the situation, they made it worse — he grimaced slightly at the mention of the quarrel with the employees of the hall, who insisted that they would be able to correct the defect before the planned performance.  
The performance ending the tour proved to be a flop if they did not make the last attempt of the band, which showed the shortcomings of the owners and the quick assembly of the employed for quick acoustics. The fans waiting in front of the hall were not disappointed with the sudden cancellation of the concert they had so long awaited. He knew that they had failed, but they were not satisfied with the next proposals that would have fallen, cover up the technical problems with which they had to deal with.

The last month of the year welcomed the residents of sunny Los Angeles with a cool aura that hung over the city. The cool rain threw the crowns of the trees, falling over the dark roofs of the Californian skyscrapers, tapping a quiet melody on the windowsills of family flats. The streets were deserted even more when the wet citizens fled under the roofs of shops or hid in their apartments. Thirsty for seeing the sky of the shining sun again on a clean canvas, they looked through the huge windows of their apartments, but the hope of improving the weather did not take place, and the weather began to give a frustrated person who had to wait this weather in the comfort of their home.  
In the air was a special scent approaching the ever-increasing steps of Christmas, preparing all residents for this special day of the year, when the Son of God was conceived in a poor stable. There was a sense of joy among the younger inhabitants of California and the entire globe, when they were saved they could receive gifts from an aged old man in a red and white tailcoat, sitting on sleighs pulling through a herd of reindeers, sending letters to him.  
At the same time it was a special day for a high school student who spent the last days living in ignorance that for a long time friends and an older brother plan her unforgettable birthday, which she was supposed to spend among her relatives, and having fun preparing for this one special evening in year. Although she did not feel the need to organize her holiday, which in recent years reminded her only of the loneliness and sadness that he had in her heart. She did not know that she would remember her eighteenth birthday for the rest of her life.  
She rolled over to the other side, wanting to cuddle up again in the fluff of one of the scattered lilies, but to her awareness she heard the quiet rustling of the foil, and her nostrils were filled with a subtle scent of flowers.  
She lifted her eyelids gently, and saw white rose petals, rose up on her elbows, looked around the room for a little in the background, looking for a person who could leave a decorated bouquet on her bed. She smiled gently, meeting the familiar brown eyes of her older brother.  
— Happy Birthday.  
She did not expect such a nice incentive, she hoped that she would not get her off the bed in a very violent way, but simple simple wishes made her unforgettable happiness on this special day in her heart. The corner of her mouth twitched up as she grabbed a bouquet of white roses, noticing the single flowers of cream-colored lilies woven into a bundle.  
— Thank you, but it was not necessary — she said quietly.  
In spite of the initial joy, memories of her previous unsuccessful births returned to her, when she still had hopes that something would happen, she hoped that someone would say something nice to her, but the disappointment she felt each year only confirmed her belief, that she is not important to anyone. The pain that wreaked havoc upon her heart felt him more and more when the clocks showed a few minutes past twilight the following day. In her teenage years, however, she was used to this and did not even have that stupid hope.  
— Julio is your birthday. This is your holiday, so it's your happiness here — he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look into his eyes — In the evening you'll be grateful that I will not let you spend that day alone.  
— What are you planning? — She looked at him suspiciously when a strange flash brightened in his eyes.  
Chester rose from the soft mattress and a soft smile crept onto his lips. It seemed to her that he had some mystery in it. Secrets she could not tolerate. She opened her mouth ready to say anything, but the musician did it:  
— You will know exactly at eighteenth, and now get up — he urged her — Girls will not be waiting for you forever — he added.  
She got out of the tangle of bedding and pillows, arranging the flowers on the bedside table, turned violently to him, looking at his amused iris.  
— Moment, who are you talking about? - she was surprised.  
— You must have forgotten us.  
Slowly she stepped down from the lift, noticing the face of an eighteen-year-old brunette emerging behind the bright wing. She opened the door wider, revealing her three best friends. They looked at them closely, each of them wearing exactly the same dress in a shade of dark blue. The corset was embroidered with lace material that stretched to the wrists, creating slightly translucent floral sleeves, the bottom was slightly spread out sewn from two layers of tulle, matching black heels perfectly exposed their slim legs. She could say that they do not differ in anything except the shade of hair color, but each of them has put on a makeup and hairstyle that suits their complexion. They looked almost like triplets.  
— What are you doing here? — she asked, putting on the overcoat, watching each of the girls.  
— We — Selena answered in a neutral tone, sitting on her swivel chair — We're taking you to the beauty salon.  
— Well, do not even think about it! — she was indignant at hearing their suggestions.  
She did not like such places, she was not a typical girl who spends several hours on cosmetic procedures to be more beautiful, it was not for her. It did not fit her image, she even loved to walk in pants and loose shirts, sometimes not even bothering to make a light makeup.  
— You do not have a choice, sweecie — Emily said, finding her place on one of the sako bags — The voucher can not be waste — she added, exchanging glances with the other girls.  
She could not help but notice that he was looking discreetly towards Chester, who was standing in the entrance to her bedroom, leaning against the door frame with a gentle smile on his lips.  
— Whose idea was it? Admit! — the tone of her voice rose slightly, which made her friend and brother even more amused.  
— Your brother.  
She rested her hands on her hips, glancing at the cheered musician who shrugged his shoulders, trying to take on the most natural expression on his face.  
— I could have expected it from you, if you wanted to throw me out of the house, you had to tell me straight away, and not send my friends on me to pull me out — she said, however with every word she said laughed in amusement, which was not she could hide.  
— I did not have that intention young - he replied with a laugh — Dress up because I will not be lying in bed all day.  
— And if you want to spend your birthday like that — she replied indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest.  
— I'll call Mike and ask him to come and get you out of bed. I noticed that he has effective ways on you - he winked at them, moving his eyebrows suggestively.  
She dropped her gaze, feeling the piercing gaze of the three teenagers who watched the exchange with considerable surprise, and though for several days, they had talked with Chester, who asked them to invite his sister's friends to the party, they were no more privy to the vocalist's plan. They had no idea that apart from them, one of the most recognizable bands in the world will appear at the party.  
— Do not even try! — she warned him — Do not write down what you do not have! — She shouted after him as he disappeared behind the door of her room.  
— I saw clearly that there is nothing, when I returned from the tour.  
He was still calling. She dropped slightly into the wooden steps, sighing softly. From the moment he saw her and Shinoda asleep together, he still throws in her direction some bashful remarks or text with a subtext that has a clear overtone. More than once, there was a heated discussion between them when they both wanted to put their own way. However, she had to admit that even those verbal scuffles were missing during his absence and she did not care that she could lose her, she was glad she finally had him with her again.  
She shifted uneasily, feeling the burning eyes of her friends on her. Uncertainly she lifted her head up, staring into the bright glance of her hyperactive friend, who was already opening her mouth to ask her about the spicier details, how she could guess the reaction connecting her with the man she had not yet met.  
— What is this Mike? — Adams wondered, watching her with her eyes as she disappeared behind the wardrobe door.  
— No one important — she heard in response — Good friend of Chester.  
High school students looked at each other considerably, a thought appeared in each mind, a suspicion that had crept into their minds when they spotted a framed photograph of their friend in the arms of one handsome brunette on one of the nightstands. Alex climbed up, grabbing the photograph, looking at her intently. She had the impression that he knew the man from somewhere, but she could not explain why his face seemed strangely familiar to her.  
— Wait, is not this Shinoda? — She felt the warm hand of Emily on her shoulder, which stood just behind her, staring at the bound memory on a piece of paper.  
She caught her friend's eyes and the corner of her mouth rose up as she heard her suggestion.  
— She's with him? — Selena appeared at their side, tearing at their hands the photograph. She stared at the smiling couple, but after a moment the photo disappeared from her eyes, and she jerked her head up, meeting Julia's eyes with a bright look.  
— Do not peep nicely — she muttered, putting the picture on the dark table, hiding the photograph.  
— You know him?  
The 18—year—old sighed quietly, knowing that she would not avoid explanations and would not be able to lie to them any more, and that it would sooner or later be that she had contact with the rest of the band. It did not make sense to hide.  
— Yes — she said with a sigh.  
— And you did not tell us anything! — the young designer was outraged, watching her eyes, leaving her friend in the bedroom.  
She stopped in mid-step, turned over her shoulder to look at them.  
— I did not tell you for the same reason that I did not reveal to you my relationship with Chester — she replied, leaving.  
Teens sat back in comfortable armchairs, making a quiet conversation about recent events. Young Shelong quietly accepted the family kinship of her closest acquaintance with the musician of rock formation. She was not a big fan of the fat one, she'd heard about it several times, but she did not pay attention to Emotions's brother, who was so emotional. She did not want to judge him after one meeting, it was not in her nature.  
— Do you think they have something in common? — Selena got interested, strolling through the bedroom of her best friend.  
— Are you talking about Julie and Mike?  
— Yes.  
— I do not know Sel, we have never really met him and we do not know their relationship, so it's difficult to say so, judging everything from one photograph — Alex said indifferently, tapping another message on her phone screen to her boyfriend.  
— What if? — she insisted.  
She looked up from the screen of the phone to look at the hyperactive brunette who loved to create various people who loved to look for certain relationships or to keep in touch with this thing after a short time. Sometimes, she laughed that she should go to a police school in the future, so that she could act as a detective, but she stubbornly went in the direction of creating new fashion trends and posing in front of the camera screen.  
— Selena does not go over the topic, recently Julia told you that she is not interested in relationships — Emily said, and her tone of voice made her feel dissatisfied.  
— She could say so that she is not interested in the guys from our class, and in fact she is secretly meeting him.  
— Sure, he must have promised me an engagement ring and a bunch of children — she turned away, hearing the eighteen-year-old voice amused — I can assure you that my relationship with Michael is purely friendly.  
Adams wanted to continue this conversation, but before she spoke, the two friends grabbed them under their arms, pulling them to the lower floor of the apartment. Julia quickly grabbed a bouquet of flowers. They ran down the stairs, and the clatter of their slippers echoed across the house.  
— And he did not mention anything like that?  
The corner of her mouth moved upward, when Selena, unimpressed, continued to want to get to know her closer relationship with Shinoda. On the one hand, it began to irritate her slowly, she knew that sometimes she was too intrusive in her actions to only know the truth, but on the other hand it made her laugh when she remembered a November evening and the man's hot mouth, and her body shook Thrill. She could not hide the joy that lurked in her heart when she remembered every little gesture, every subtle caress, and the passionate kiss that connected them. She did not intend to tell anyone what happened then. She preferred it to remain between her and Mike.  
— No, the only thing I hear from him is that he likes me.  
— Even more than that — said the singer, who unexpectedly stood behind her.  
She turned on her heel, looking into her brother's intense brown eyes, she saw in the glow of the sun shining dances in his eyes a spark of amusement.  
— Your brother's suggestions are not right — she said, somewhat acerbically. "Do not even finish — she warned him, seeing that he wants to return to memories from a few days ago.  
They ate breakfast in a friendly atmosphere. It was impossible not to notice that there was a thread of understanding between Chester and Selena. Both of them were just as crazy and full of humor, which quickly caught the contact with them, Aleksandra was still a little shy presence of musician, she tried to focus on talking with the jubilarian and friends who felt at ease and still found topics, to gossip mainly from school corridors high school.  
They reached one of the most popular beauty salons less than thirty minutes later. The girls persuaded the jubilarian to give up any transport and to go on her feet, she could not help but notice how she cared about them, but she did not ask for details, she persuaded her to take a morning walk when they entered the threshold of the living room, attacked by their subtle fragrance lavender and flower candles.  
They approached the counter, behind which was a nice smiling young woman. She could say that it was probably a student who earned money on her side for the tuition, she greeted them kindly. Making sure of their name and saved visit, she invited them to the dressing room, where they could change long bathrobes in a light shade of caramel, the company logo was sewn on the right breast. Feeling the delicate material on his slightly exposed body, he gave her a pleasant thrill.  
Unexpectedly, she felt the hand of one of her friends clenching at her wrist, which dragged her toward the massage room. She crossed the uncertain threshold of the room, afraid of this procedure, looked around uncertainly in the lightly curtained room, the delicate aroma of rose oils and the scent of vanilla coming from the burning candles, added a place of intimacy and subtlety.  
Then her gaze stopped at a woman standing nearby, dressed in an identical apron, which was greeted by a young girl. She saw her gently, nodding, inviting them inside. She asked them to take off the cover so that they could only remain in scant lingerie, the door ajar after a while, letting the assistants, who were supposed to help the already experienced masseuse, and at the same time allow young girls to have a bit of a profession.  
— Please, do not worry about anything and relax — the elderly masseuse instructed, as she lay comfortably on her stomach.  
Gently closing her eyelids when she felt the pleasant scent of oil on her naked back. Satisfied gave in to a pleasant massage, with every movement of the woman she had the impression that her muscles were loosening, and the stress she had no idea she was disappearing from her body, just like by the touch of a wizard's hand. It was possible to say that she missed it, a quiet day in the company of her friends without nervous conflicts at school, heavy homework or arguments with the queen of the school.  
Deep in their reflections, there was no silent discussion of the girls who were talking to women who dealt with them, gossiping or expressing satisfaction with this treatment.  
—- Julia flew away — Alex heard laughter as she was torn from lethargy.  
— I'm sure she's imagining someone else in the place of this pleasant lady — the amused brunette replied — A handsome man with brown eyes.  
— Sel, I'm starting to fear your next conjectures — she said in a low voice, twisting her head gently to look at girls for a moment.  
— I can ask you something, but answer me truthfully — She felt slightly afraid of her request, she was beginning to be afraid that he might finally ask her what she did not want to tell anyone so much.  
She sighed quietly, then replied:  
— Listen?  
— Did you kiss him?  
She fell silent for a moment when the content of the question came to her, come and expect it, she was speechless and did not know how to get out of this situation. She promised to answer her truth, but she did not want to mention their kiss. She could at the same time lie and somewhat weaken their knowledge of what she did not smile at. She did not want to lose them, she became attached to this group and did not want to lose contact with them. They became true friends for her.  
— Yes — she answered quietly, staring at the bright floor of the office, feeling somewhat embarrassed, her answer.  
— I did not expect such an answer - she replied, slightly shocked after a moment of deep silence.  
Selena was a person who was not easy to surprise, but Julia's words impressed her, come despite her nosy nature and absurd ideas sometimes did not think that one of her crazy thoughts really can become real.  
— So you can surprise - she laughed in answer — I will not answer any more questions — she stipulated.  
They left the massage room after only twenty minutes, a relaxing massage helped them relax a bit, before the next treatments awaiting them. Julia knew that this day, despite her initial reluctance, promised to be really great. The morning spent with the girls in the beauty salon and the small treats was enough for her, but she felt that this was not the end of her attraction.  
— Another surprise awaits you now — Alex said, handing her a white tulip flower, to which a note was tied.  
She grabbed a leaf attached to the plant between her fingers, looking questioningly at her friends who only ordered her to read the note, and then said goodbye, claiming that they must come back, because the parents asked them for an urgent meeting. It seemed a bit suspicious to her because she had not heard the notification sounds or even none of them received any phone call from mothers. She only shrugged when they disappeared around the bend. She gently pulled the ribbon, releasing the note, spread it out, reading the message:

Let's meet in the place where Cinderella threw off his torn clothes.  
In which the torn dress she exchanged for a beautiful ball gown.

She looked thoughtfully at the short message, wondering what she could walk about. A riddle that seemed so simple and yet could not read its content. She returned with memories to the day when Katline met for the first time, when the girl, after persuading her longtime friend, completely changed her style of dress. She did not know why, but she had a strange feeling that it was just a shopping mall. She moved slowly to meet the recipient of the letter, she hoped it was not a joke. She trusted the girl and she hoped that they would not lead her out into the field.  
She reached the center about twenty minutes later, entered the cool hall, enjoying the gentle breeze, when the hot temperatures returned again after a few days of rain. She looked around carefully, hoping to find the mysterious person of the note, as if she hoped she would reveal herself, what seemed really absurd to her. She loved to solve riddles or secrets, but it seemed to her strangely suspicious and she felt a slight anxiety. The mind was still haunted by quite a few black scenarios, which she tried to push back to the side track.  
Suddenly a familiar scream reached her. She turned on her heel, noticing her, running Katline toward her. The dress she wore fluttered with every movement, but she did not reveal much, the clatter of her heels died in the great hall around which the multi-colored billboards of branded shops lit up with a neon glow, encouraging them to come inside.  
— Finally you are — the woman said when she put a soft kiss on her cheek — We have a little to do so though — she took her hand cautiously, then ran to one of the brand boutiques.  
She stopped abruptly when they stood by a luxuriously equipped store, shades of white mixed with cream decorations, there were not too many hangers, but she saw in the middle of the platform and a huge mirror in which customers could browse.  
— What are we doing here, Kate? — she asked.  
The young woman turned to her, a gentle smile on her lips.  
— They say your birthday is today — she Said — I have a command to make her a prom queen — she laughed, remembering the words of her longtime friend.  
— No!  
— She does not accept my beloved objections, except who will advise you more than a star stylist — she laughed.  
She had not yet known what Katline was professionally involved in, although she sometimes met her, never told her where she worked, but she also did not ask for that detail. Her and Flings' acquaintance was purely friendly, she did not consider her a good friend, however, a girl with whom she could talk from time to time.  
— So who do you cooperate with, if you can ask — she asked when she stood on the platform, letting the woman choose the right dress.  
— I'm dressing up musicians, sometimes your brother and his buddies —she said with a slight amusement — I will not walk like kids anymore — they laughed, remembering the twenty-year-olds on the cover of the debut album — You associate Jared Leto?"  
She nodded slightly, knew the group well, liked to listen to their singles, they had quite an interesting sound. She liked her last album, A Beautiful Lie, although four years passed since the premiere, she thought it was one of the best albums of this band.   
— Do you dress him?  
— Yes — after a short reflection, she handed her chosen creations into her hands.  
The dress had an intense pink color, made of a simple slightly shiny material that covered the floral lace, on the shoulders sewn only with a transparent material, showing the corset, which was held on the bust. It did not have any special decorations, just a ribbon wrapped around it. She favored a pair of matching heels with a slightly lighter shade of rose that gently glistened. She left the platform, going to the wardrobe store hidden in the interior, so she could change her outfit. She pulled on her dark pants and a bright blouse, stood in front of the mirror in a very scant lingerie with a lace trim. She pushed the dress up, carefully applying it to herself, careful not to damage it. With little difficulty, she closed the creations, not wanting to unravel the rather rich braid in which a single bow was woven. She sat on the edge of a bench covered with soft material, putting on her chosen shoes. She glanced in the mirror, assessing her appearance. She did not like that girlish colors, but she had to admit that she looked pretty good in her. The hairstyle she agreed with perfectly matched her stylization. She left the dressing room to be able to show herself to her brother's friend. She went out to the boutique, finding the woman who was leaning against the counter of the cash register, approaching her uncertainly, Kate noticing her presence, interrupted the conversation with the saleswoman and nodded her head, ordered her to come back to the platform.  
Stylist watched her with a slight grimace of dissatisfaction, as if she was not delighted with something. Tapping her finger against her chin, she focused intently on finding the right little thing to embellish her eighteen year old outfit.  
— I know! — She shouted at one moment.  
She ran again to the friend standing behind the glass box, asking her to give her a diadem in a floral motif. She grabbed the ornament between her hands, then returned to her client, ordering her to go downstairs, then gently slipped her tiara into her tousled hair. She took a step back to finally look at the teenager's appearance and a smile of satisfaction appeared on her lips.  
— It's perfect — she announced, delighted with her work today.  
— Thank you, Kate, it's really nice, but...  
— Costs do not play a role, someone has already taken care of it - her words of opposition were over, then she turned to a friend who gave her the identical tulip flower she received from her friends - Before you go out, they told me to tell you - she handed her a plant with attached as a card then.  
She left the store after the woman's farewell at the time, then sat on one of the armchairs, untying the red bow with the message, arranging the flowers on the chair. She opened the colored paper, eye-catching the message:

I am waiting for you in a place where the sun is falling, the sky is spreading millions of star constellations, when the fallen hope replaced faith.

The form is almost identical to the previous one, again mysterious, which she had to figure out, but this time she did not have to think for a long time about what place she could walk in the depths of her heart that it was there that she would meet this short note. She rose from the dark armchair, grabbing two flowers, then left the center, heading for the Santa Monica beach.  
Unfortunately, the walk was longer than she thought, because from the center to the beach mentioned in the list she had to walk for about forty minutes, she sighed quietly, then moved down the cobbled pavement, boring the melodies under her breath. She wished she had left her phone at home, so she could now listen to the music while hiking, so that time would not linger.  
When she felt the golden sand under the feet spreading around the beach known to residents and tourists, she followed the person who was supposed to wait for her here. She approached the sea, paused, feeling the cool breeze of the ocean. The waves bounced against the rocky shore, taking the golden grains behind them into the dark depths.  
Enjoying this beautiful view of the sea, she did not see a man approaching her, who held the same tulip flower in her hand, which she held in her clenched hands. Unnoticed, he approached her, wrapped her arms around her waist, gently lifted the flower toward her, making sure she saw the note attached to her. Uncertainly, she untied the ribbon from the plant, opened it to see the only written note in the characteristic letter.

Turn around.

Two short words that caused her anxiety and, at the same time, curiosity about who hides behind her. She knew too well this characteristic fragrance of delicate men's perfumes and the subtle scent of mint. The corner of her mouth rose slightly, probably in normal circumstances she would run away from the person who embraced her in a tender embrace, but she knew the touch of the young man's hand too well.  
She turned in his arms, meeting Michael's dark eyes so well known for her, a small smile on his lips. She did not notice when he gently took her chin, felt his warm breath on her cheeks, parted her lips gently to say something, but she could not say a word when she felt his lips again on her lips again. She felt the subtle scent of mint when he put a kiss on her lips.  
However, she could not get enough of this subtle caress, when he slowly slipped her away from her, noticing in her eyes a bit of disappointment, hiding the lurking desire in her heart to momentarily prolong these rather intimate moments.  
— Happy Birthday Julia — he spoke softly, gently stroking her cheek.  
— What are you doing here? — her voice shook, still bemused by her last closeness.  
Then the material hung on his right hand threw up at her eyes. The white scarf stood out against the dark shirt he wore.  
— I had to give you my first present before I took you to a certain place — he explained, grabbing the petticoat that had rested on his wrist right now.  
— You do not want to kidnap me — she laughed softly.  
— Under no circumstances — he replied calmly — But this time you must trust me infinitely and not ask for details.  
She looked at him rather uncertainly, and her gaze stopped longer on the bright material, she was full of worries about what he was going to do, but the fear that was smoldering in her heart was extinguishing. She had no reason to trust him, she was convinced that she would not hurt her. She could not understand her previous dilemmas, which were completely unfounded. She looked up to look deep into his dark eyes. She was very curious about what he mentioned, but again doubted, she sighed quietly, responding in a low voice:  
— I have no reason not to trust you.  
— Let you? — He raised his hands slightly in which he developed a light scarf material, and she nodded slightly.  
She watched every minute of his movements, when he brought the handkerchief closer to her eyes, did not expect that the bright material would be able to effectively inhibit all images, even the shining sun above the horizon, was strange to her at the moment. She clenched her hands tightly, when sudden anxiety overwhelmed her limp body, she felt her nails in her skin.  
Unexpectedly, she felt her gently loosen her grip, letting her fingers cling to his wrist, as if she wanted to feel closeness. Darkness overwhelmed her, causing her heart to be quicker with nerves, though there was no reason to do so.  
— You have no reason to be scared — his subtle voice wrapped her troubled thoughts.  
She did not speak, she let her lead, to an unknown place, she heard the sound of the sea drifting away, the speeding vehicles on the asphalt roadway painfully reflected in her mind. The muffled sound of passing cars effectively prevented her from hearing anything to understand where they could go.  
She shook Michael's hand more tightly, she was at once curious, and at the same time she felt slightly stressed. From the moment of parting with her friends and this strange note, she noticed something disturbing was happening, something cunningly concealing from her, and though she had her conjectures, she was still unsure of her suggestion.  
Time was getting longer and longer, she felt like every now and then going a different alley or sidewalk, she heard around the hubbub of the city or people around them who were discussing or talking on the phone, it became really annoying.  
They stopped suddenly, and she felt like a musician, standing in front of her, but she was not sure what she was doing.  
— Please, shut your eyes as soon as you remove your loincloth — he ordered, and she had more and more questions.  
She nodded gently, not even bothering to ask her a question that bothers her so much. She gave up when she felt the material disappear from her eyes, and she did not even open her eyelids. She raised her hands as she felt herself slipped into her tangled hair, the tiara fell to her forehead, but she could barely put her down, put her in a tiara, not seeing her reflection in the pane of a distorting mirror.  
— Wait.  
She could hear the amused laughter in his voice. She dropped her resigned hands, but for a long time she did not have to wait when she felt his fingers, in the strands of her brown locks, and the falling tiara again found her place in the arranged hairstyle.  
— Very well — came a voice full of delight — Now, let me — he took her by the arm again, pull in the unknown direction, but after a moment the door opened, and a loud melody, probably through loud speakers, reached her ears.  
— Mike, where are we? — she could not bear this uncertainty anymore, the sound of a famous song made her no longer manage to keep her doubts dormant in her breasts.  
— You'll see soon enough he answered with a hint of mystery.  
She had no choice but to rely on him, heard her go into the room, and the music quit. She made uncertain steps as they climbed the metal steps, and she barely found the glass barrier, which she grasped in a gesture of last despair. She was not aware of how long they were going, it seemed like a few minutes had passed, in fact the clock tip did not move on to the next line.  
— We're there, open your eyes.  
Uncertainly, she opened one eyelid, and her senses were stunned by a collective cry. She opened her eyes wider, when all well-known wishes and birthdays sounded so good. She looked dumbfounded at her friends. They stood smiling with gifts in their hands, and she could not see a few ornaments suspended over the brightly lit club room diodes, glasses of champagne were set on one of the tables, and several snacks. She, however, focused her eyes on familiar faces.  
She watched her brother approach her, a huge smile on his lips. She could see behind his arm, her close friends, and a few classmates, including Marinette, with whom she had recently become very pissed off. William was standing by her shoulder, and the strange gleam in his eyes made him smile, though strangely subdued on his lips. She also noticed Mark Wakefield in the company of a charming blonde, Katline hung on Brad's shoulder, who seemed to not care about the woman standing by his side. Everyone here was interested in her, even the band with which she had previously tried not to show in public, to be able to keep their secret together secretly. They did not worry about it today, it was just fun.  
— Now I can formally wish you — announced the vocalist, embracing her arm — But I know that you do not like them, so I will spare you my chat — she laughed at his words — I do not want to stop them — he pointed to the gathered company.  
The next moment, she was attacked by her closest friends, but before they were in a firm grip, she heard Chester's last words.  
— My gift is waiting for you at home.  
She did not have time to ask him what he meant. She expected to organize the whole event anyway, so she did not even count on her to give her something. She had never had any birthday, let alone any party, she did not even expect her eighteenth birthday to be a grand party, she hoped it would be a quiet day, even after visiting a beauty salon or a boutique at Katline. However, she pushed these thoughts aside, she had no reason to be sad, even now when the eighteenth birthday party was organized for her.  
Friends gave her a lot of wishes, handing her presents or bouquets of flowers. She has not received as many gifts in her entire life as she has now, she did not count on them, because she was lost in a package decorated with red paper, which Nathan gave her.  
The fun began about half an hour later after the first toast for the health of the jubilarian, she was kidnapped on the dance floor by her brother, who demanded the first dance. They were crazy on the dance floor for lively music and the sheaves of colorful lights suspended under the iron roof structure illuminated their bodies in lively rhythms. When the first song came to an end. She was almost sure that he would not get off the dance floor today when Brad pulled her out of the vocalist's embrace, leading her into the middle of the vividly painted parquet floor, to the older man's indignation that he had not finished dancing with her. She laughed at the guitarist's response. She was not sure how long she had been dancing in Darter with Delson. When her well-known Roadside Rise Against group sounded well, she found herself in Rob's arms, with whom she danced another pair of dances. She could not help but notice that the songs played by the DJ are scrupulously selected from her play music list, which she set on one of the social networking sites, but did not take away some of her somewhat danceable songs, which gave more freedom during the dance.  
— I do not feel my legs! She complained as she sat at the table where Emily and Marinette were sitting, and it was only an hour since the birthday began — They have no sense — she muttered, grabbing a colorful drink with an umbrella from the tray the young waiter had brought earlier.  
The girls laughed softly, sipping their colorful liquors. Despite the initial awkwardness between the band and her friends who had formed, now that alcohol slowly began to roar in their veins, you could feel a looser atmosphere, as evidenced by Selena's somewhat crazy dance with older Bennington, Nathan and Aaron in less than twenty minutes they sat at the bar with Dave and Joe, vividly discussing.  
— It's just the beginning of the party dear — Emily laughed, bringing up the glass with a colorful drink — For your health, our rebellious — she announced when he spread in the box tapping glasses with colorful umbrellas.  
— It does not rebel at all! — she objected when she felt the taste of liquor spreading over her throat, which she shook her for a moment on her throat to leave the sweetness of small sins.  
— Yes, but you're setting everyone in the corners — a friend said, admonishing her last quarrel with Adrien and April, which did not end too quietly.  
She just shrugged, seeing Shinoda approaching them from the corner of her eye. He stood in front of their table with a slight smile on their lips, focusing their attention on the amused jubilator  
— Can you get carried away to dance?  
She looked up at him with her bright look, the corner of her lips rose gently upward, she had not yet had the opportunity to dance with him today. She put down the decorated glass on the pre-school table top, sending the girl a sorry apologies, rose from the soft couch, grabbed his hand, letting him lead the lighted dance floor.  
— They do not connect anything — Selena insisted as she stood in front of the box, passing two friends along the way.  
— You will not give up Sel — Ring sighed, taking another sip of the cocktail. "Where did you lose your brother's birthday? — she became curious.  
— I honestly do not know — she replied, shrugging.  
The event lasted at its best when the clocks of electronic clocks on the telephones indicated the twenty-second, the company was still enjoying themselves, dancing or raising toasts, or inventing at the same time clever wishes, but sometimes also the challenges that the bride had to do. The teenager sometimes resisted the crazy ideas of her friends, but with each drink she drank, she did not rebel and agreed to everything she told her. It was completely dispersed when percentages dangerously roared in her mind. It also happened that her best friends pushed her on the dance floor during one of the free songs, along with Mike. Initially, she argued with her friends about their suggestions, but she could not refuse a friend who managed to convince her and took her into the whirl of dance.  
It was midnight when the first people began to crumble, claiming that they did not want to fall asleep in the club where the party lasted, they said goodbye to the girl, wishing her a good time, they came back on shaky legs to their apartments.  
— Maybe we'll take the party to us — Chester said after two hours, while they were in the company of the band, a whole bunch of friends, and a friend, and Willa and Marinette.  
— In all, a silly idea — Julia said quietly, resting her head on Michael's shoulder — I do not want to sit in the club — it was surprising that she managed to think after so many drinks drunk.  
However, she did not have to think about transport when her brother said he asked his friend to come after them whenever he let me know that he was leaving. They returned to the apartment about half an hour later, sitting down in the living room with another colorful drinks, which they managed to prepare.  
— Let's play the truth or challenge — Selena suddenly said, leaning against one of the armchairs.  
She took a sip of cola with an admixture of percentages, and cubes of ice cream tapped the walls of the vessel. She looked at her friends who agreed to her suggestions. After a while they sat in a circle in the middle of the living room, and between them was an empty bottle of wine. Adams immediately ordered Julia's glass vessel, which was supposed to be the first to be shot by today's birthday girl. When the neck stopped at Aaron, the bored boy asked for questions. With little difficulty, she found the question she immediately asked the boy. He hesitated for a moment over the answer, but he was satisfied with his statement.  
Inventing more or more fun questions or challenges, they had quite a lot of laughter and fun that lasted from the hour when the bottle was in the hands of Selena, she spun her around, staring at her, stopping at one of the musicians. The corner of her mouth twitched, which he was not aware of when he even asked for a challenge. She laughed a bit of a sneer at Julie, who was sitting slightly bowed, and her hair was not as perfect as at the beginning of the event, individual strands of hair tickled her slightly chewy cheeks. The diadem had long since been forgotten, as soon as they returned to the apartment, she took it out of her hair, leaving it on one of the dressers. The shoes were immediately removed as soon as she crossed the threshold of the flat, freeing her sore feet from high boots, walking barefoot on the cold panels of the rooms.  
— Kiss our girlfriend — she said, and the eighteen-year-old suddenly jumped up, staring in a slight stupefaction at her best friend.  
She was not going to argue because she did not have the strength, and she knew that she would lose their little dispute when she was under the influence of alcohol. With difficulty, she won a verbal battle with Selena, when her excess body was not crazy. She sighed deeply, seeing Mike look surprised at the brunette. One young Selena Adams knew, there would be one crazy idea, but he could not resist, it was a game that did not matter much. He had to hide the smile on his lips as soon as he heard the content of her challenge.  
— Selena, you could have invented something else — muttered the jubilate with a look that made her dissatisfied.  
It was not that the job Mike was about to do did not like her, but she did not want to show it that there was something more between them than a purely friendly relationship.  
— No way, honey — she said with unheeded joy in her voice, as if she was waiting for this moment, until she could draw either her or Shinoda would only challenge one of them, but each of them did not discourage her at all. when she could not find the two of them.  
She closed her eyes for a moment, sighing softly. She opened her eyelids with a slightly dissatisfied face, approached a friend. By promising that she would never allow herself to play the truth or a challenge in the presence of a fiery friend in the presence of the band. She felt his hands gently glide over her waist, he clenched his fingers on her sides for more comfort, and sat her on his lap. She did not object, she could only imagine the stupid faces of friends or the sparks of surprise in their eyes. He ran his hand gently over her chin to force her to look deep into his dark irises. The smell of mixing perfumes with alcohol vapors struck her nostrils, she felt that she wanted to fool her even more, tried to think rationally, but she could not stick together any thoughts, knowing that she must kiss him in front of her closest friends and brother. He ran through her body an unpleasant shudder at the thought, but that did not matter at the moment. Staring at the intense hue of his eyes, his silent whisper reached her through the mist.  
— Do not make such a face — his subtle voice, he pulled her out of chaotic thoughts, and she felt how quiet, he says in her ear — They will think that he really kisses badly — they both tried to suppress the growing laughter when they looked into each other's eyes.  
They knew each other, however, a different truth, which they wanted to hide only for themselves, but they were not able to do it for a long while. They could play like professional actors, pretending to be their first kiss, but did it matter?  
He grasped her lips with his warm lips, felt again the sweetness of her raspberry lips, mixing with the bitter aftertaste of alcohol. The intensity became even stronger than the first time, when they were slightly bolder driven by alcoholic stimulants. She ran her hands over his neck, wove her hands in his somewhat lengthy strands of hair, pulling them slightly, and heard a small murmur of contentment. The corner of her mouth rose slightly up when she heard that pleasant groan of pleasure. She hoped that only she could hear it. At the moment she had the impression that the world had ceased to exist around them, they remained together, as if they did not sit among their friends who looked at them with considerable surprise. She barely broke away from his hot lips, and a gentle smile lit her face.  
She was not aware of how William was watching behind her, and the brightness in his green eyes was pale, and he could feel the burning jealousy in his heart that spread over his body. He clenched his hands fiercely, holding back with all his strength before throwing himself at the elderly man, to inflict so severe pain, because he did not want anyone other than he touched an eighteen year old. He loved her and wanted to do everything to let him see him, but she was stranger to his feelings, he felt as if she was happy with this turn of events, not being aware that he was playing with her feelings and leaving her and rejecting the chance true love. He was cooking with anger when he saw the wandering smile on her lips, which made him even more convinced that he was going the wrong way. In an instant he wanted to do everything to pay attention to him and to see that he really loved her, not like this rock star. He did not hear Marinette's questions, who, worried about his condition, wanted to know what the problem was. He ignored the girl with ink hair, devising his plan.  
Julia could not see her brother's surprised expression, which looked at her in a slight stupor, if not Katline's reaction, which sat next to him, poked him lightly in the ribs, calling him to the world of the living, asking if everything was playing. He told her casually, then shook off his surprise.  
He knew well that his sister's and friend's relations had become somewhat stronger, but when he asked if anything interesting was happening. They said nothing worth speaking. Was it possible that during his departure there was something more between them that even now Julia did not defend herself against this kiss? He remembered that he had not been in such intimate relations before the start of the tour. He broke away from his thoughts as the neck of the bottle stopped on him and he asked for a challenge from a friend.  
The game lasted another few minutes, and everyone seemed to have forgotten about Selena's recent challenge, all except the silent baseball player who could not stand the thought that his beloved kissed someone else. An hour later, Marinette and Alex were killed on the battlefield, falling asleep on the Bennington lounge floor as fatigue enveloped their senses.  
Jubilatka fell asleep right after them, finding a more comfortable place than an uncomfortable floor, putting on Mike's hips, who did not even object, but let him hug her when he felt the burning eyes of one of the partygoers. The sun leaned towards the horizon when Brad and Joe fell down in the last round of alcohol, falling asleep at the table.


	31. TOM 1— REBEL : 30 — A SHINY GOWN FOR PROM

— Is it so urgent? — she sighed sadly teenager, when she was torn out quite brutally from her dream.  
She clenched her hand in a fist, feeling William's strong handshake on her wrist. She longed to return to her sweet dreams in which she was stuck, forgetting the irritating mind of her hangover. A quite strong pain pierced her, wreaking havoc in her head. She did not understand Wilson's violent behavior, which, irritated, insisted that she wake up, because he wanted to talk seriously about her before he returned home.  
Reluctantly, she broke from Mike's grasp, who did not even notice her absence and was still asleep in the best light on the couch. Unfortunately, she did not have the opportunity to let her birthday party fall asleep at the moment, an obsessive colleague who even pushed her outside to talk in peace, although it was not necessary, because everyone was still dreaming, lost in their land of dreams and it would be impossible to hear the content of their conversation.  
— Yes — the boy whispered.  
He released her hand, slowly turning to face her. She sat down tiredly on a nearby deck chair, supporting her chin with her hand, suppressing the growing yawn, covered her mouth with her hand so as not to show her how exhausted she was, bored waiting for his further comments, but minutes passed, and the teenager was still silent, staring at her with intense gaze.  
— What is going on? Why are you looking at me? — She impatiently impatient.  
She put her hand on her knee, raising her eyes to the bright irises, saw her moving uneasily, as if confused, not knowing where to start or whether she was ready to take up the topic at all. He felt sometimes like this girl could trace him and look into his soul, which remained open to her, and she could read it like a book. He was afraid to look at her eyes sometimes, it was also delightful, but it made him shudder.  
— I do not know what he started with — he murmured, scratching his slightly flustered face.  
— William, it's eight o'clock in the morning, the party ended in the morning, I only dream of going to bed. To the point! — she urged.  
She jumped up from the seat, stepping forward, approaching the scared seventeen-year-old.  
— If you do not have anything to add, just let me go — she added impatiently.  
She looked at the brunette for a long moment, she saw him open his mouth to stop it, and no word came out of her mouth, and she felt tired already, that he could not explain what lay deep inside his mind. She sighed quietly, disappointed with the boy's attitude, hung her head slightly, then turned on her heel, ready to go back to her bedroom, but suddenly he was stopped by a strong grip on his wrist. She turned over her shoulder to see her green eyes fixed on her.  
— Why he?  
She frowned thoughtfully as his question reached her. She slowly turned to him, feeling her shapely fingers clenched on her hand, raised her head to see a strange flash in his bright gaze, something he did not expect to see.  
— What do you mean? — She asked, feeling dry in her mouth.  
He relaxed his grip on her hand, letting it move normally, but she stood stunned, staring at him, her question hanging over their heads like smoke on the battlefield. The tense atmosphere was felt between two good friends, it was their first moment of such an awkward situation. She was still unaware that her relationship with Shinoda would interfere with her relationship with Wilson.  
— Why did you choose him? Why do you love him?  
She laughed honestly, considering it a really good joke. She could not stop the chuckle he'd thrown at her raspberry lips, she could still smell the delicate aftertaste of alcohol that escaped her body, but what she could feel most was the intensity of Shinoda's passionate lips. She controlled her voice, after a while, looking, in whose face William did not testify to tell her a funny joke. Seriousness beat him from his eyes.  
— You do not think he'll use you and leave you — He folded his hands over his chest, eyeing her with his emerald green irises.  
— William, are you serious? You say I love him — she did not trust.  
He nodded slightly, as if only wanting to confirm it in his conviction. She was speechless, she did not know what to say. Though she considered his words rather amusing, she now had no objection to his words. Does he really think she could love someone? She did not even feel the usual infatuation, her heart did not tremble in a specific way at the thought of a young man, yes she missed his touch or the desire to get closer to him when she could hug him with impunity and know that he would not mind. She needed someone's closeness. Years of living alone, when she did not even have one friend she could have squeezed out, left behind an unpleasant taste of the past from which she wanted to free herself. Today she had everything that she most wanted. Calmness and a sense of security, what was deprived of it.  
She trusted Michael, he had been present with her almost every day, she had met him enough to avoid anxiety at every meeting, maybe she was sympathetic at first and liked to be with him this trip even closer to them.  
But did she love him?  
Earlier, she would respond without protesting that she did not, but now, although she still tells herself that she is only a friend and can not love anyone. She denied her own feelings, but she had to do it. She could not bear another broken love. She could not love him, she did not want to, or she just could not let him into her heart.  
— Yes — his answer pulled her from the depths of his thoughts — You do not know such people? — she heard her fly up, and she heard in her voice the nervousness — He'll make you fall in love with yourself, then he'll use and throw you as if he's not important — he tried to explain it, as if he'd suggest she would not trust him.  
She saw him open his mouth to continue, but his face suddenly froze, and a shadow of fear ran through his suddenly pale face. She glanced at him slightly surprised, and she could not help noticing that they were staring at a point behind her. Uncertainly, she looked over her shoulder and Michael's face appeared in the entrance. She noticed a grimace in his dark dissatisfaction in his dark gaze. She would know him too well, not to know that he was well drained, he always tried to hide the reasons for his frustration, and she was sensitive enough to say when she was not a bit happy, although she did not show.  
— I think I interrupted something — he leaned coolly, and she almost flinched.  
Nobody heard him being so cold even when he did not have a good day, he tried to make fun of himself, to relax. However, today the unknown color of his voice reached her ears. She felt a shiver of nervousness pass over her body. She was afraid that he might have thought of her badly, but it was wrong.  
— William, better take my ad vice — he said, slowly approaching the two teenagers. — It's not wise to mix people who are strangers with mud, if you think you can achieve something like this or get your sympathy, this road will lead you nowhere. Lies and deceptions seem to be faster, but what the cost is. Will you be able to bring the consequences later?  
He stood stuck in the ground, not daring to speak, he could only see Shinoda, he looks at the girl who is accompanying them, and the corner of his mouth has risen slightly. He said goodbye to him in a rather firm voice in which he did not hear any negative or positive feelings, then he turned to the suppressed teenager lightly. The blood boiled in his veins as he saw her kiss her cheek, saying goodbye to her hand. All his gestures or words made him even more eager to get this girl, she does not deserve him! Irritated, he turned to the silent teenager who was escorting his friend.  
— He thinks I'm making opinions about him, now he shows how mature he is — he mocked.  
He could not stop the words that flowed from under his lips. He did not control them, he was not aware that he was speaking them out loud. The teenager's face turned red with anger. It was the height of the absurd, such an insult, she felt offended by her, she did not want to think what would happen if Mike stayed here longer and heard the footballer say.  
— Will have enough of it! She cried suddenly — Leave before I lose my last patience! — You do not know our relationship and dare us to judge after the stupid challenge that Selena gave us in this stupid game — anger overwhelmed her body.  
She squeezed her hands tightly, her knuckles knitted until they blushed into her skin, decorated with nails. She could not hear it anymore, she was not going to look idly as someone spins and makes conclusions about her acquaintance with the team, in fact seeing their behavior for a few hours.  
— Okay — he went to the door with a springy step, but before he left, he turned to her, and her last words came — I'm not done with you!  
She growled irritably, not even able to shout at him. She fell limply to a nearby seat, covering her face with her hands. She felt her trembling with nervousness, she tried to control her emotions, but the memories of the word exchange from just a few seconds had knocked her off balance.  
— Are you young well? — Chester's quiet voice reached her.  
She did not raise her head, she did not have the strength, she could only hear the words of spasmodic breath, which he tried to get out of his closed hands. She pushed her hands away from the slightly pale cheeks, saw him crouching in front of her, holding a small white ball in his hands. She frowned, focusing her eyes on his hands, and more on what was on them. Two small blind spots emerged from beneath blond hair, staring at her with hope and love, a quiet bark bordering on her troubled thoughts.  
— Yes — she said calmly enough to speak normalny — What are you holding? — she became curious.  
— I told you that my present is waiting for you at home — he said, handing her the pet.  
She could look at him now, it was a tiny Maltese boy. He had deep yellow iris, so intense that it almost turned into pure gold. The dog looked like a few weeks old puppy. He was really charming.  
— Meet Junka — he announced, giving her a gentle smile.  
— Really Chester? How? —Asked, staring at the dog, who smelled a bit — Yesterday's attractions, party and dog. Do not you think it's too much? — Looked deep into his eyes — Do not think I'm not happy because it was one of my best birthdays, but you do not spend too much?  
Bennington just shook his head, shaking his head with depressive. Whenever he told his sister that she would not care about money matters, he had to come back to them. It seemed irritating to him, on the one hand, but he could understand it on the other. For most of her life, she could not even raise money for something decent, and then she got a lot of goodness she could not afford.  
— I will repeat it to you. You do not have to worry about financial matters. I am responsible for matters of expenses or fees. You know very well that I will do everything for you, you better finish your school now and do not follow in the footsteps of my older brother who was studying.  
They laughed at his last statement, then returned to the apartment, leaving a slight mess. They quickly got rid of the effects of yesterday's party, and Julia looked with curiosity at the small pile of presents, which in the morning provided service to the premises where the event took place. She let the air out of her lungs, putting flowers into several vases, placing them around the house.  
She sat in the living room on the soft carpet with her little friend on her lap. Anika settled herself comfortably beside her feet, glancing at her mistress as she grabbed the first packet wrapped in colorful paper. She found a look, a note attached to the black bow. Then she remembered a piece of paper that Michael had given her before her departure. She dug her out of the inside of her sport pants pocket. Her brother disappeared in the kitchen claiming that he would do something to eat, because they both fell from hunger. He let her unpack gifts from friends. She unfolded a white sheet of paper, saw its characteristic style of spelling. While reading the message, a small smile appeared on her lips:

I hope you liked your yesterday's kiss.  
If you do not remember him, I'd like to repeat it.

She suppressed the growing laughter. Of course, if she could forget about him, maybe a lot of percentages circulated in her veins, she did not manage to forget about the most charming moment of last night. A shiver of excitement spread through her body as she slowly put away a scrap of paper inside the sweatshirt she was wearing. He made her feel more and more attracted to him, which she only felt in connection with Justin. She had the impression that she was doing everything to get a piece of her heart and not thinking about ordinary friendly relations. She was not aware, however, that he had already stolen some of her soul in a way and appropriated it to himself.  
She read the recipient of this gift, seeing that it was from Emily. She ripped the paper from under which three books later and some sort of album flew out. She looked through the covers of novels, seeing the authors she knew, whom she read eagerly. She flipped through one of the books, reading one or two paragraphs, feeling already interested in these stories. She put them aside, taking care of her little friend who was dozing on her hips. She reached for the last of the volume, opening it. She looked at the photograph of her closest friends stuck to him, turned over to see the picture of her and Selena, taken during their water games in the water. She remembered the day well when they went to the beaches to cool off after a hard day at school, and they had a lot of fun and laughter. While browsing the album, she came across the last blank page where the following text was written in a nice script:

Fill it with our memories!

While browsing through the next gifts, she found the albums of her favorite artists or small sweets or gifts. The sweet basket that Rob received from her favorite perfumes was perhaps the most splendid gift. A gift from Selena surprised her a bit, it was not an ordinary thing bought in the store, but a hand-made leather jacket with studs at the collar and sleeves. The girl had a really great talent, she could not hide it when she took her clothes out of the bag.  
At last she pulled a present from Shinoda. It was not a big box, it was rather in which you could hide what jewelery. She pushed the colored paper and a red card flew to the sleeping Maltese. She quickly caught the note, seeing the girl move restlessly in her sleep. She turned her around to look at the saved message:

Wishes are important, but a person is more appreciated than ordinary words.  
I hope you will like this simple gift.  
I regret that I can not personally set it up for you.

She opened the lid with a box lined with navy blue materials. She looked at the bracelet lying on the pillow. She did not expect such a gift. She caught her gently in her hands, looking at the delicate diamonds spread around the silver-shining chain. The light was breaking on delicate stones, reflecting the rainbow's color from each other. She jumped in fright when she heard a low whistle. She glanced back to meet her brother's gaze.  
— I did not think he would take her — he admitted after a moment, kneeling beside her, glancing at the jewelry he was holding.  
— She is beautiful — she was delighted.  
— He made the right decision — he said quietly — For dinner, you'll cut the rest.  
He waited until the 18—year—old quietly took the girl slumbering on her legs, then stretched out his hands to her, helping her up. A grimace of pain ran over her face as she only now felt the effects of sitting on one leg. She crouched, went to the kitchen where a tasty dinner awaited her.

— Can you explain to me how my name is in this stupid list? — She threw the paper on the table, just broken from the bulletin board, where she read the information about the upcoming ball.  
Friends looked surprised at each other, interrupting their discussion. Marinette, who sat down at them, grabbed an abandoned scrap of paper, looking at the list of students selected by the students for the king and the queen of the winter ball. There she saw three names of girls to take off, April Crystal, Nina Night and Julia Bennington. It was a small surprise, usually the students chose a steadfast three teenagers who considered themselves the queens of the school, she was surprised by the name of the new student. However, she had a feeling that the students had had enough of these girls' constant rule and managed to squeeze the young artist over one of the Princesses. She heard well the conversation between her peers and younger students, that they had enough of this continuous cheerleading cap, they wanted something new, probably because they typed the teenager's name on the list.  
— Julia, we do not know anything about it — Alex said, raising her hands in a defensive gesture.  
— We know that you would not look at it favorably and express bad opinions about how you described it as "cheap kings for one evening" so we did not even try to draw you in — added the brunette, sipping his cola.  
She put the tin on the table top and looked at her friend, who looked at them lightly unsurely, watched them for a long moment, then smiled slightly, apparently believing in their words. She came over the bench, sitting between the navy-haired and Nathan.  
— Sure someone from other students wrote you down — said the Parisian.  
— I will not say, I'm surprised. Tell me, but honestly what he deserves? I'm not even popular — she murmured, and they sensed a slight dissatisfaction in her voice, not because she was celebrating, but rather that she was not living as calmly as in her previous high school without things like wondering why other students started to like her and prefer her to Crystal.  
— Exactly.  
She froze, hearing this poisonous voice. She knew him too well to mistake him for someone else. She turned to face the angry look of the school queen. She stood in the company of her slightly stupid friends, who crossed their arms over their chests, just like their friend, trying to look scary, but something did not work out, because they looked more like ghosts removed from some horror.  
— What are you looking for? It's not your table! — Julia snarled, taking off from the wooden seat.  
— We have to talk, bitch!  
— Please, I'm listening — Her tone rose slightly as she rested her hands on her hips.  
She was not at all surprised by the subsequent names she addressed to her, it was so typical of the blonde. She could not talk to her differently, but still throw a wave of insults at her.  
— Who gave you the right to sign up for this competition? I will become a queen! — She measured her with a sharp glance, approaching dangerously close to her.  
— Take it in hell, I do not want it! Understand! I do not want to! — she repeated, then straightened up, tangled her hands on her chest — I have a better diadem at home than this plastic fake crown," she mocked.  
— How can you — she whispered, shattered by his scornful approach to the most important title in school — You are hopeless!  
— I've heard it before — she murmured with bored eyes, yawning theatrically. "April, forgive me, you will not win me.  
— No way!  
She turned on her high heels, then walked away in the company of her friends, heard the last names addressed to her. She sighed quietly, sitting down at the table again. She felt Marinette's warm hand on her shoulder. She looked into her light eyes, giving her a slight smile.

— The girl is a mission! — Selena announced when she and Julia, Alex, Emily, and Marinette sat in her bedroom.  
The fun in their school was fast approaching, and they did not even have anything to wear on them, she did not intend to put them in dresses that were in the closets. The ball's theme did not allow her to dress the girls with short dresses, but they demanded almost princely dresses. She already had a plan, and they were going to help her.  
— Shopping? — Aleksnadra's scared voice came to her — No! Do not even think about it! I'm not going to the mall with you! — she said in a serious tone.  
She knew her too well to know what was behind her first statement. She knew the impetuous wishes of a friend, when it came to buying clothes she did not know the boundaries, running from store to store, with bags filled with various outfits, shoes or jewelry. She was with her several times on such a marathon after each of them she promised herself that she would not allow myself to be taken out shopping.  
— So that's why you downloaded us? — Bennington said, staring at the screen of her phone, lying on Dupain-Cheng's stomach, which spread out comfortably on her pillows.  
She taped the last word of the message, pressing the green button, she smiled slightly reading the incoming message.  
— Young, do not flirt on the phone with Mike — she said, a little pissed off seeing her friend poke around on the electronic keyboard again.  
She jumped up abruptly when the meaning of her words reached her, throwing careless I'Phone on the bright bedding. She measured her with her blue eyes, almost drilling a hole in her head.  
— He does not write with him at all! — she was indignant.  
— Sure, and I'm Jennifer Lopez — she said, with a sarcastic smile.  
She heard her quiet murmur of dissatisfaction, knowing well that her friend had met her a little to get into her tricks. She lay back on the stomach of the ink-jet girl, finding the lost phone on the sheets, hearing the sound of the incoming notification.  
— Okay, we're going to the city tomorrow, we have to buy some dresses and shoes. There's a ball in a week! — brunette was delighted.  
A collective groan came to her ears, and a sly smile covered her pale face. We're starting to have fun! — she thought seeing the grim-faced teenager.

The prom day was faster than the students could think. There was this special evening, which they were supposed to spend on playing together, chanting or madness on the boards of the dance floor. It was still possible to hear in the school corridors how the boys would invite their girls or good friends for a party together. However, many students were left without a couple, so they decided to spend the evening in the company of friends. One of these people was Dupain—Cheng, who was not invited by anyone and Julia, who despite several invitations, including from young Agreste or to her surprise, did not agree to go with any of them to the dance, which the Parisian woman was grateful for , as claimed, will not be left alone among them. She did not accept these proposals for the sake of their recent relations. She noticed that Adrien was approaching her less and less, or some suggestive suggestion, it was impossible not to notice that the boy started to fade at some point. Class casanowa, who usually walked and flirted with other girls, sat alone in a corner, not even talking to his buddies.  
It happened to her, she came back from the library with Marinette, with whom they discussed the latest project that they were supposed to do together. They slandered his details, arranging for a school break to do the job together. Then they spotted him leaving school and the sunlight shone on his pale and dried-up cheeks, which was really strange in his case. They exchanged significant looks with their friend. They wondered then for a long time what had happened to the school podrywaczem and breaker of women's hearts.  
— You will stop drilling — Selena urged her when she stood in front of a huge mirror in her bedroom, looking through the crooked mirror, staring at her reflection she could see her friend slowly slipping her dress.  
The creations she wore were sewn from a fairly simple cut, blackness wrapped her light complexion, which contrasted with each other. The clavicle was covered with a dark lace that stretched the entire length of the hands. She did not put the girls like dresses on the ground, but ending up before the knee, the train was slightly longer, which gave the impression that she could be dressed not only for some special balls, but also ordinary games. She put on her usual black heels, which further extended her shapely legs.  
— I'm sorry — she murmured softly, adjusting her tangled hair that had fallen over her shoulder.  
— I'm done — she sighed quietly.  
She turned slightly to the girls who were already dressed and painted. They looked really beautiful, and their dresses suited them perfectly. They would not spend almost the entire day listening to the continuous complain of Adams, as she would describe it "not look tragic". She did not think she'd let them out of the house if they did not look as she wished. However, they had to admit one and she and Marinette knew fashion and what in the grass squeals with new products. They could advise on a par with Katline.  
— We're taking a picture! — Alex announced, pulling the pink clutch bag inside. The shade of the handbag was ideally suited to the creation she was wearing.  
They set all up for the picture, standing in front of a huge mirror in the friend's room. When they managed to capture the most satisfying photo they liked best, Withe sent them on the girls' phone so that they could keep them or put them on the social network.  
She hesitated for a moment as she looked at the open MySpace app. She did not like to throw a photo of all life events, she rarely threw in her photograph, but she still had a large number of followers. She sighed and then published a post with a small signature. For a long time she did not have to wait for the first comments that came up. In the end, she came across one with a very distinctive name.

Minou — As always beautiful, you will eclipse the entire ball princess.

She tried not to burst out laughing as she read. The girls clearly noticed her delicate joy, because after a while, she did not have her cell in front of her, her impish friend, watching the words of recognition she had read so far.  
— Who is this whole Minou? — she was surprised, it was hard for her to read the French word — You have an admirer — she laughed, but she waved her words at her words, because she knew well who was behind this angle. She did not intend to talk to anyone.  
— I do not know someone," she lied.  
She felt their piercing gazes on each other. They stared at her as if to read, to catch a note, a clue that would let them know who this lovely admirer was, but their efforts failed when Julia did not move.  
Suddenly, after the designer's bedrooms there was a soft knock, she invited the visitor inside, and in the slightly open door stood an eighteen-year-old mom, who announced that the boys had already come for them. Grabbing their handbags, they ran out of the bedroom. Marinette and Julia, went quietly, knew well that friends want to show their boys and more affectionately to greet them before they set out to play. They said goodbye to the state of Adams, leaving the family home of the friend.  
They arrived at school twenty minutes later, substituted for a flat limousine, which Alex's parents rented for them. The girl's father was the owner of a car dealership, one of the busiest in the whole city. However, she was not very interested in Dad's job because she did not have any motorization at all.  
They passed a ballooned corridor, multi-colored senpertines hanging from the side of the walls, connecting with shimmering ribbons. Bright tiles covered the careless decorations, creating an artificial wrong order that only added a better interior design.   
They were flooded by the glow of a glowing lamp, which was attached to the ceiling structure, cast its glow on the students or members of the pedagogical group entering the Hall. She exchanged glances with Marinette when their friends came down the stairs on which the red carpet was laid. She sighed quietly when her friend grabbed her by the arm and slowly strode down with the adorned steps of the gymnasium.  
They looked around the colorful neon lights bathed in the light, the stage was decorated with blue and white balloons or ornaments imitating the winter, the created snowflakes were wrapped in brass curtains that were hung on the hall walls to add some elegance to this place. The DJ was standing somewhat hidden in the interior of the stage, lit by a single lamp, which cast a blue glow on it, at the edge of the wooden structure stands with microphones were set so that when the time came the director could announce the royal pair of this ball. Under one of the walls there were tables with blue and white tablecloths, white lilies put in glass vases in which the glow of the burning candles reflected. The chairs were not particularly decorated. The parquet was ready to encourage students to step onto the dance floor to go crazy to the rhythm of the music. They did not have to wait long to start having fun, when the boy behind the music console released the first hit and the first pair went to dance. Two friends were not left behind and they did not have their dance partners, they raged in the middle of the dance floor, causing some to flee from them. They were playing almost perfectly at the birthday of a younger one.  
They found some free, when they felt the first cramps of the calves that begged for rest, they took something cold to drink on the way, sitting in the back of the room, looking for their friends who spun into the next song. Marinette fell into a pensive mood, still bothered by one question she was so anxious to know the answer to.  
— Can I ask you something? — sitting next to her teenager.  
She nodded slightly, taking a sip of her drink, focusing her gaze on her blue irises.  
— Why did not you take any proposal to go to the ball. You have received so many proposals and rejected every one - she said with a slight curiosity — Does it have something to do with him? She added, remembering a certain musician she often saw at her birthday party.  
She heard him sigh gently, put down the plastic cup on the wooden table, looked away, and she could not help but notice how deeply she was thinking about her words. She remembered every boy who approached her, asking him to accompany him at the ball, but she sent everyone away with a receipt, not wishing that they would worry her next time. It was strange that one of the most popular girls rejected proposals even a teenager, to which most girls sigh and send some sweet talk to pay attention to them, and she passed him with an indifferent expression on her face, and she was very nervous about the fact that she was one of the most famous people at school, because she did not really want it. She preferred to keep her tomb friends and not to get into any conflicts. Unfortunately, what was inevitable in her case.  
— I was going to go to a ball with someone who I do not like and I feel bound in his company — a stream of teenage Julia's words wrenched her out of thought — I prefer to spend time with you than wiggle with some boy — a gentle smile brightened her face — What to Mike? He did not even know about the ball until today — she explained calmly.  
— Tell me, do you feel something for him?  
She jerked her head up at her words. She did not know what to say, for the first time in a long time she could not put into words what she was thinking about. She knew Marinette maybe for about two months, of which only the last few weeks brought her closer, she was honest with her, she was a great observer. It took her one whole evening to see her friend care for a young man. She had once loved Adrien at first sight, but her friendship with blond hair had been lost when Agreste changed completely. She wanted him to come back to the boy she met, nice, calm and helpful, and above all to stop treating women objectively. Despite all the anger, he hoped that her old friend would change. He will find his lost part of the soul and let him get to know each other again.  
— No — she replied, uncertainly.  
The corner of her mouth rose slightly when she heard the uncertainty in her, she no longer wanted to drill down on this subject and leave her friend in a rather uncomfortable situation.  
Unexpectedly, young Agrestea appeared before their table. The boy, although he tried to cover up the signs of his small indisposition, it could be seen that the brightness of his green, feline eyes faded, his complexion became pale and the womanizer's smile disappeared, replaced by an indistinct murmur of joy.  
— Marinette, can I ask you?  
She saw her slightly surprised expression, slightly panicked, looked at her as if she was looking for help, but she only left her arms, not knowing what to advise her. She did not want to interfere in their affairs, and her relationship with blond would not help her make the right decision.  
— What is going on? — She asked coldly.  
— He wants to talk — he said shortly.  
— Go! — she urged her, seeing his almost pleading sight — I think it's time you talked honestly — she added.  
She grabbed her clutch bag, slipped her feet into her shoes, fastened them on thongs, and then she got up from the chair, leaving the two Parisians, leaving them alone. Not knowing what to do with herself, she wandered around the sports hall trying to find friends, when disappointed with her search, she sat down in a corner of the room, pulling out the phone. Unlocked the device by entering a private chat with one of the musicians. She sent him a quick message, looking at the well-amused students. She sighed quietly, maybe she was enjoying the game, but she wanted someone else to be with her. She dropped her eyes when the sound of the notification reached her, read the message, after a moment answering her.  
It was twenty-third on electronic clocks, and she was spinning with some friend from a parallel class on the dance floor. She had to admit that the boy was an excellent dancer, which made new poses, and she barely made it on him. She had the impression that he was learning professionally dance steps, because the figures were sometimes really clever. The remaining hour to proclaim the queen and king of the ball and she was not at all interesting. She tried to unsubscribe from this list, but she did not succeed, because as she was told only the students could make her lose, which was not heralded. When the appointed hour passed, they stood in front of the stage where Jennifer Stone came out holding the envelope with the results of student voting in her hands. She broke through the crowd of students standing next to her friends. From the moment Adrien kidnapped Marinette, she could not see the blue—haired girl anywhere, surprised her that he was standing by the boy's side with a slight smile on his face. She frowned thoughtfully, wanted to ask her about it, but the director's voice interrupted her.  
— The result of student voting, the queen of this year's ball is... — slowly pulled out of the inside of the envelope folded in half, watching her carefully saw the slight astonishment in her eyes — Julia Bennington.  
She stood speechless, loud applause and screams deafening her senses. She did not think it would happen, she did not want it, and she was chosen. It was ridiculous. She felt Selena pushing her to the stage. She climbed up, approaching the woman who was holding the tiara she was supposed to hand over to her. When she slipped a plastic crown into her hair, she let her say something or thank her, but she only took out the artificial tiara from her hair, grabbing the microphone.  
— I should thank you for voting for me, but I do not understand your decision. What did I deserve? For me, it has no value — she lifted the crown in her hand — I do not look favorably at this type of competition. I came here to play with friends, not for some cheap crown — and then she turned to the teacher — Thank you director for everything, but I will not accept her — she gave her hand again, then left the stage.  
She approached the slightly surprised friends with whom she gave a gentle smile.  
— Come on? You know that it does not matter to me — she replied calmly.  
She listened intently as the headmistress reads April's name, which even ran to the stage happy. Young Bennington nudged the brunette, who turned her attention to her.  
— Now she will brag about it — she murmured as the new queen took her crown.  
— He also feels he can not forget about himself. Get ready for another hit — she muttered in response.  
She focused her eyes on the stage, listening to who is being read to the role of the ruler. He went on in the hall of astonishment when he became Adrien, but the boy surprised everyone as his predecessor resigned from the crown and apologized to all the girls he had for the whole school, and he addressed Marinette with special words. It was really strange and surprising. They could not think about it anymore, when the royal couple appeared on the dance floor, which turned out to be the most famous couple in high school.  
Julia did not want to see it, she left the high school walls to breathe a little, she did not intend to come back, but she did not want to look at the eternal pair. She sat down on a nearby bench, inhaling the scent of December night, shivering when she felt the cool wind. Staring at the starry sky, she did not notice the boy who had been looking at her for a long moment, who was still thinking about her.  
Returning to school, she could not resist the temptation that someone looks at her, but she could not think about it. She returned to the dance floor to play a bit before the scheduled end time. She dragged Nathan to the dance floor, who willingly agreed to dance with her. They danced a few dances of poplars and Emily did not show up and took her boyfriend in her embrace.  
The party came to an end, leaving the walls of the high school, singing a song that caught her ear, holding her heels in her hand, which she had enough after a few hours of mows on the dance floor. She said goodbye to friends who were going in the opposite direction. She sighed quietly when she saw her leave and she could return home. Come on, the road was not long, she was a little afraid to come back through the park at four in the morning.  
Then she saw him, and her heart went down to her throat. She did not know herself, whether it was fear or all-encompassing joy.  
He stood leaning nonchalantly about his red cabriolet. He looked at her from under the darkened glasses that gave him mystery, but she knew him too well to mistake him for someone else. His arms were wrapped in a dusty jacket that effectively protected him from the cool breeze, the nights became slightly colder but still did not lose their temperature. Being careful not to cut herself, she came to him with her bare feet, grabbing the heels from her hand more firmly.  
— Who are you? — she said quietly — Are you looking for someone? — the corner of her mouth rose upward as she knew how to slide her dark frames off her nose.  
— Yes, a third grade girl — he replied, catching her words, playing the same scene — Did not you see her? Lovely blue—eyed blonde.  
—I think not.  
She could not maintain her seriousness anymore when she felt his hand, when he slowly embraced her in the waist, bringing it to her, she laughed softly, hiding her face in his collarbone. She closed her eyes as she felt the warm cloth on her shielded arms, inhaling the subtle fragrance of his perfume that gently tickled her nostrils.  
— What are you doing here? — She asked quietly, slipping slightly from his torso.  
— You did not think I would let you come back home at this hour alone? — He replied in a serious voice.  
— You wanted to get up just for this? — She marveled, catching the look of his dark eyes.  
— Who said I slept — he replied.  
— You worked? — she sighed heavily— Mike, you do not have enough? You work day and night, it will end badly in the end — she said in a serious tone.  
— You do not have to worry, and now come — he led her towards the passenger door and opened the door for her, letting her in.  
They were not aware that someone was watching them hidden behind a nearby tree. He hit the crown with his fist as the murmur of the engine came to his ears, which disappeared just around the corner.


	32. TOM 1— REBEL : 31 — THE MAGIC OF HOLIDAYS IS THE LOVED ONES

Over the next few days, the spirit of Christmas was noticeable. The hybrids were preparing for this special day of the year. Multicolored lanterns were hung on the garden gazebos, Christmas wreaths decorated more and more wooden wings of houses, and colored lights were hung around the house, mixed with decorated garlands. It gave my charm, when together with my family I would be able to dress a Christmas tree, which will stand in an honorary place in the living room.  
There was a magic of Christmas in the air that did not avoid any of the house. By encouraging them to enjoy the upcoming free days that the residents spend together on holiday together with their families, only a few have come to celebrate those days in a traditional way.  
They could not, however, break away from the gray reality. The students of the third year of high school spent most of their time on books, learning for the next exams, which gathered over their heads, and the teachers did not give them peace. Even on the last days, asking many papers or essays, over which they leaned out late into the night, just to not get a bad assessment.  
Julia Bennington was not an exception when she returned to the apartment, she sat down to a huge mass of household tasks, sometimes it happened that she finished her last tasks before four or five in the morning, even trying to get her to rest by her older brother did not manage to tear her away from school reality .  
The vocalist could not hide his surprise when he entered the living room, where he found his younger sister falling asleep on the couch, and under her beard rested a biology textbook from which she had forged the necessary rules for the upcoming test. He sighed deeply, putting the shopping on the table top. He knew her ambitions and willingness to get the best grades from the matriculation tests, but that was a bit of a hitch. For almost two weeks now, the teenager was doing nothing more than sitting in a room above school books. She slept a little, if she managed to sleep at all, she woke up after a few hours completely sleepless, making herself another caffeinated drink. Shadows under her eyes, which she scrupulously tried to hide, under quite strong makeup did not mask her not the best state.  
— Please, go to bed and go to sleep — he begged, crouching beside the light furniture on which she lay.  
Junka moved on her back, falling on her back, from the moment he gave the 18-year-old dog, she could not part with her, she was more connected with her than with Anika, he often saw Maltese sleeping on her bed, what looked really charming .  
— No! — she tried to shout, but her call to suppress the growing yawning — I have an exam tomorrow. I have to study — she struggled to lift herself up on her elbows, pulling the book to me.  
— You'll finish it up soon enough — he replied in a tone that did not tolerate opposition.  
He took a printed book from her hand, seized the abandoned tab, inserting it between the pages of the volume, closing it. He put the volume on the glass table, looking back at the slightly suppressed teenager.  
— Sleep! — he ordered, despite her clear protests.  
— But...  
He straightened up, grabbing her by the arms, pulling her up. Disappointed teenager lack of arguments or words of opposition seized the bitch, which spread out on one of the pillows, as soon as she was thrown quite brutally from her owner. Murmuring softly about his arrogance, she climbed up, wily on the bright steps.  
He returned to the kitchen, where he left gray bags with food products. Deep in his thoughts, he kept things in his lockers, thinking about how much had happened in his life since a teenager appeared in his home. Did he regret his decision at this time? With all his consciousness, he could answer in a simple way that when he was to choose again, whether to find her or leave the matter as it was when their mother told him the truth. He knew he would do anything to get her back.  
There was a huge change in their lives, but although they were not prepared for it, they put it together, they faced all the adversities. There were many secrets to cover, he hardly knew anything about her past. Hearing from the tales of the guardians or the headmistress of the center, that Julia was a rather quiet person, but she managed to get by the skin. The somewhat impetuous character of the girl was manifested in moments when she was not satisfied with something or if she felt insulted. Reading the opinions of her previous teachers, he was surprised that she had committed several fights on the school grounds, which seemed absurd to him, but he could have expected that. Their mother was also a gentle, balanced and self-controlled person, but when the situation was such, she could say or show what she thinks about a given person. He could immediately see that his sister was getting into her mother, she was very fond of her, as well as from character and appearance. Sarah belonged to the beautiful women, even when she was not so young, she could take care of herself, trying to make her look impeccable. In spite of her rather loose style of dress, Julia managed to keep her graces and elegance. Although she rarely chose the shirts with collars or fitted pants or jackets, even then she looked really lovely and knew that in the future she would be a really beautiful woman. However, it allows now a bit of madness that has been taken away from her.  
The sudden sound of the quiet melody spreading around the apartment aroused him from sudden reflection. He laid the knife on a wooden board on which several vegetables rested. A surprise visit was unexpected. He did not expect anyone today, his friend was working today and the boys were in crossroads around the country. He only stayed with Dave in the city.  
He knocked out the door, defeating their resistance, did not want someone to wake up the sleeping teenager:  
— It's you — he murmured.  
At the door's door stood a slightly stooped Dave. He let him in, closing the dark wing with a slight click.  
— Did you expect someone else? — he asked slightly surprised — I wrote to you that I will come — he explained, following his step.  
— I completely forgot.  
Farrell sat down by the kitchen bar, asking the host for a cup of hot coffee. Their conversation took place in a calm lane, until the man pulled a file of printed pages from the inside of his pocket, placing them on a bright countertop.  
— I brought you these tickets — he said calmly, pushing the items under him toward him — Did you tell Julia about the concert? — He took a sip of some cool brown substance.  
The vocalist looked at him from under the lightly closed eyelids.  
— No. By the last one he sees it in the morning, when he goes to school, after classes it's hard for her to get anywhere. He's still taking exams — he replied with a slight sigh, wrapping a cup of steaming drink on the bright kitchenette.  
— Explain to us, did we also have such a bitch in the last grade school? Every year, I do my exams.  
I can understand everything, also her ambitions. From the moment Mike started helping her with drawings, he is more and more thinking about going to the Academy of Fine Arts. Even before Christmas, however, they could let them go a little bit, "he replied, hiding tickets for one of the drawers.  
— I'm not surprised — Dave sighed — You see that she is very self-contained, just like you. You both do not forgive for something.  
After the kitchen, their silent laughter spread out, unexpectedly came to an end  
— Nice to hear your talk about me.  
He looked up when his sister's soft voice reached him and she stood in the passageway to the kitchen, her hair somewhat tousled. She replaced her dark blouse with one of his T-shirts, and her comfortable long trousers gave her comfortable shorts. In spite of the short nap she still did not look terrible, at least she gained some strength for the next hours she was supposed to spend on notes or textbooks in biology or writing the next essay from English. She suppressed a growing yawn, going over to the counter to turn on the coffee machine. He jumped on a clear top, letting the shirt fall freely. Although she tied her, she was still too big for her, but, she claimed, she felt better in her. He noticed once, the lack of a T-shirt did not even have to ask her to know that he had picked up his clothes again. He was no longer paying attention, he only laughed that he would buy several men's t-shirts at the earliest opportunity.  
— Hello David. I see that you were the only survivor of the team — she laughed, putting her favorite mug under one of the nozzles.  
Her brother's indignant voice reached her, to which she merely laughed softly, switching on the device, from which after a while he filled a bright cup with an aromatic drink. She found one of the cupboards of syrup, which she often added to the coffee.  
— I've stayed — he murmured with amusement.  
— Actually, where did Mike go? He did not want to tell me anything, and the rest know that he is circling the country — she said, sitting down on a spare chair, putting a mug on the top of the bar.  
Suddenly her senses attacked the explosion of joy, she looked away, looking amused Chester, who could hardly maintain seriousness, laughed even more, feeling the intense look of her sister.  
— What are you laughing at?  
She waited impatiently until her brother calmed down, then continued with a hint of amusement:  
— Mike did not tell you anything? It is surprising — he explained, falling into even greater joy.  
She sighed with the look of a martyr. She grabbed a mug of hot infusion in her hands, descending from a high chair, touching the cold tiles with bare feet. She gave David a disgusted look, waving her hand at Elder Bennington, returning to her beloved books, which she had begun to put up with. However, she had to grit her teeth, there were still a few exams before the Christmas break, then she would rest from the constant shackles.  
She sat on the soft pillows spread out on the sofa, grabbing a biology textbook from the table. She turned to the right page, finding the issue on which she finished her studies before her short nap. She took out her workbook and pen from the book, wanting to record the most important information. She heard the sound of talks between two musicians, but she did not pay attention to them. She sat in silence, interrupted from time to time by the barking of two tetrapods, who wanted to chase each other around the house and laugh at the walls.  
Typing words, she sat at the table, noticing the corner of her eyes entering Chester's living room. He held printed pages in his hands. However, she could not tell what was happening to them when her eyes were focused on making her own notes.  
— I have something for you — he announced, tearing it from his thoughts.  
She put down the marker, which marked important words, grabbed the dish with a bit chilled caffeine, looking at the man. She looked at the pages he held, where she could see several written formulas and an unidentified photograph. She grabbed them in her hands, dropping her eyes to the tickets. She could not believe that she just had the opportunity to be admitted to a concert of her friends.  
Not a moment passed, and joy overwhelmed her body, with a squeal of joy threw at his neck. Her behavior now bordered on the rules of good manners or her restrained breeding, it could be compared to many female fans who are too crazy about the band, but she could not control her excitement, she always dreamed of getting into their performance. She never had the opportunity, and now she squeezed a few tickets for their next Christmas concert.  
— Thank you — she whispered softly to his ear, feeling her embrace her waist.  
— Trifle, we promised you our concert — he replied, gently pushing it away — Letting you in for rehearsals was the right solution. However, before you start to oppose it, treat it as a Christmas present.  
She laughed softly, hugging him again.  
In the evening she sat comfortably on a sako bag, spread out in her bedroom. Junka was lying comfortably on her stomach, tired of their earlier play, and she was tapping a message to friends, asking who was going to get out of the boys' concert. She did not have to wait long for the answer, Alex and Marinette agreed almost immediately, claiming that they would be happy to go. There was one more person missing, the boys were not convinced, only Nathan showed a willingness to play on the band's performance.

The last day in school reality has also become a longed-for day of rest for many students, now they could spend time preparing for Christmas and spending time with family without spectrum of homework over their heads.  
In the end, they could sleep away the school stress that Julia had effectively used, hanging a sign on the door of her bedroom that read "DO NOT DISTURB HERE RESTS" which enormously cheered Chester as soon as he saw the printed card. However, he was not surprised, the eighteen-year-old had been walking like a corpse removed from some horror for several days. The joy she showed when she returned home on the last day of school stunned his sensitive sense of hearing. He never saw her show her feelings so much that it was possible to count the exceptions in that afternoon.  
She woke up the next day, before noon, it was also the day of the band's performance. This time, they put on an intimate performance in the club, giving up the huge stadium, which resulted in much less tickets or fates for a private meeting with the team. She, although she did not need it, because she had team members every day, she said that if she received the VIP entrance, it has to be used, it is not often the case. She took a quick refreshing shower, changing into washed out clothes. Imposing on a dark T-shirt with the print of the last CD cover, a blouse modeled on a beaver that had a band logo on the right breast and engraved on the right, she did not remember exactly where she bought it, she almost forgot about it. She dug her out of the sinks of her closet, this evening. She liked the matching jeans pants and ordinary sneakers, she said she looks good. She wrapped her hair in a long braid, tied it with a black rubber band, went back to the bedroom for a phone call and tickets. She did not bother taking anything else because she did not need it. She only took the Minutes to Midnight album from the cabinet to behave like a fan going to meet her with idols, left the apartment, getting in the car.  
She parked on the already full-fledged premises, noting in the distance the touring bus of the team, contacting friends, went to the small queue that gathered under the club. She did not wait long for her colleagues who arrived five minutes later, grabbing their copies of tickets. They got into a chat about the show, but they still held the appearance of ordinary viewers who do not know the band members personally, which was difficult for Julia. It was hard for her to pretend to be an ordinary fan, but it was a repayment for her silence. She was happy about it, but on the other hand it was terribly onerous. Soon, a few people joined them, how well she managed to listen, they were for the second time in their performance, but for the first time they managed to draw in the entrance to the group members before their concert.  
The hour came in, showing one of the security guards a pass, took the bracelet that she put on her hand, and the LPU member ID hung on her neck. She has been registered in the club for over two years, but she has never used some of her privileges. Following one of the broad-bodied men who led them behind the scenes, they reached the designated room, lined up against the walls, waiting for the band to come.  
Minutes lengthened mercilessly, and every now and then she looked worried at her watch on her wrist. Apparently she saw the boys almost, but every day events such as this has always put her in some degree of excitement, which she tried to master. She remembered how happy she felt when Mike took her to a personal encounter with Rise Against, unable to control the euphoria in her breast, but also the nervousness that now made her stranger.  
A loud cry of joy and hot applause tore her out of her reverie when she realized that Brad had appeared in the entrance, just behind him Rob came in with Chester, followed by Dave, who was talking to Joe, who was slightly absent. However, she did not see Shinoda, who should appear. She was lucky she was close to their departure, when she saw her brother approaching her, as if she had never given him a signature album, he gave her a slight smile. Obviously, she grabbed his elbow, bringing him closer.  
— Where's Mike? — She asked in a whisper that no one would know about their close familiarity.  
He gave her a meaningful look, and when she wrote her autograph, she heard a quiet reply from his lips:  
— Coming soon. Jim stopped him.  
She saw out of the corner of her eye as she walked away to the other fans, and she glanced at Joe, who appeared in front of her, picking up a music disc from her, and after a moment he pressed a white cover with her signature in her hands, with a slight smile. Then her attention was caught by the musician who ran into the room, saying some apologies, but the fans did not pay attention to it, engaged in conversations with group members.  
She waited patiently for the rest of her friends who did what their predecessors exchanged with glances or looks. When Mike came up to her, he immediately started talking to him, like the previous one with Rob, who was now signing Alex's excited shirt. She knew well that the girl was dreaming of being at their concert or even autographing and even though they had met before, it was not worth asking.  
The meeting finally came to an end, and they reached the stage, which concealed unlit lamps hanging from an iron structure. She managed to get under the railing, barely enduring people pressing on her. She did not complain. She could see what kind of pressure there is at such concerts.  
When the clock was eight o'clock, the whole room was played by a known adapter from the band's latest album. Wake was greeted with shouts of contentment when they heard Brad Dunel's known guitars in the background. Starting song Given Up. The performance began for good when the group's vocalists appeared on the stage. The synonym of good fun guided her from the beginning of the meeting with the boys. Two hours of unforgettable impressions awaited her, so recently her brother said they were right, did not allow her to try them, they did not want to spoil her and come on, she heard many of their performances, it was amazing to be here live despite her intimate relationship with the band . Singing the reflex No More Sorrow, she put her arm around Alex, who used her free time to take a commemorative photo that she intended to upload to her social networking site.  
They were in the middle of the show, when well-known notes of Numb sounded, a song that made her life change to some extent. This song was her synonym of life and a nasty existence, gave her inspiration to meet with inevitable destiny, or to face something she was terribly afraid of. She knew the lyrics by heart, so it was not difficult for her to sing along with her brother. She watched him jump off the platform, approaching the audience. She was surprised by his behavior when he stood in front of her, she knew well that along with Mike, they were going down to the auditorium while performing In the End to sing along with them, but they did not do it during the song. She did not think about it, she only let herself be carried away by the live energy of the concert, she sang along with him the second chorus of the song. He shook hands with the fans standing nearby, stepping farther away when the second chorus of the single began.  
During the In the End, as always, the singers came down to the audience, the security guards immediately rushed to insure them as they stood on metal barriers when they could have better contact with the fans. She suppressed growing laughter as Shinoda stood near her and her friends, sending her a gentle smile, but she did not let anything know.  
The concert slowly came to an end, and the audience began to chant for more, the band looked only after themselves, knowing that they could not refuse two or three songs played in addition.  
What I've Dane opened a song for the concert, which many also associated on the soundtrack to the film about transformers. She was not a fan of such films, but she liked the adaptation of Michael Bay about extraterrestrial machines that were hiding behind ordinary Earth vehicles.  
When the lights dimmed, it meant only the end of the show and a sad return home after such a good performance that the band gave. She left the club with friends with whom, sharing the impressions of the show, they stood out of the way to calmly talk.  
She waited a moment when she said goodbye to her friends, went to the car, leaning against the mask, sending a message to her brother, asking if she should wait for him. She did not wait long for the answer that came after a few seconds, Chester asked her to come backstage, showing the ticket earlier, and the security guards would let her in. Slowly she moved to the back room, following the instructions of her brother. Walking along a narrow corridor, she met Jim — the main technique of the band, whom she had the opportunity to meet already. He told her to follow him, directing her to the team's wardrobe. He knocked on the closed door, and after a moment they heard an invitation to enter.  
— Finally you are! — Bennington announced, who suddenly appeared nowhere, of course, already without a T-shirt.  
— Sorry, I had to say goodbye to my friends — she said, shrugging her shoulders.  
— Did he like or did he recommend amateurishness? — He asked her as she sat back on one of the couches.  
— I would never accuse you of lacking professionalism — she explained with slightly mock indignation — You think that I think you are so little brother, you do not know me in that case — she added, crossing her hands on her chest.  
— But at least she liked it a bit?  
Suddenly, she felt someone embrace her by the neck, and she felt the characteristic scent of mint and sea, which was associated only with one person.  
— Mike, stop kidnapping my sister, just hurry up. We're rolling in half an hour! — A friend urged him.  
— I'm not picking her up — he said in a slightly annoyed voice — Is the truth the sun? — He added, winking at her knowingly.  
— I did not notice this, honey — she said gracefully, putting her foot on her leg.  
She suppressed a giggle when the musician slipped away from her. She followed him with a look as he left the room. There was a quiet sigh of an elderly man who said he was going to dress, accompanied by his sister's loud laughter.


	33. TOM 1— REBEL : 32 — TANGO UNFORGETTABLE IMPRESSIONS

She watched Christmas movies not once, in which she saw a happy family together dressing a Christmas tree, preparing together tasty meals or wonderful pastries, until she could feel this magical atmosphere of this special night through the TV screen. What did she feel then? As a child, in her small heart she felt regret and sadness that she could not experience it, when she began to mature, all those saints lived with indifference on the face and emptiness, which spread painfully over her soul. She did not bother to help younger kids decorate the Christmas tree, she had enough colorful ornaments or flashing lights that sparkled on the tree. She could say that she did not care about anything but the eternal escapes to the outskirts of the city, and for a moment free herself from the gray reality, fleeing into the world she created. She created in her mind. She did not feel this magical atmosphere, she could not take it into her consciousness. When the Christmas Eve dinner came, she locked herself in the room and did not go down to the cafeteria even after the headmaster's urgings. She slammed the door shut, shouting that they would leave her alone. Every year, the same pattern, which kept repeating, with time the guardian ceased to persuade her to spend with them and other wards of the evening and let him stay in the room.  
She heard well the rumors about her, sometimes she felt that they were afraid of her, those who appeared for the first time without knowing her explosive personality, tried to accumulate or otherwise make friends with her, but other students quickly broke it's from their heads, saying they would not even try to come to her. At one time, they called her Rebel, because she did not intend to listen to anyone, not even Amelia Smith. At that time she did not cause any problems to her educators and the older woman.  
If she was honest, she did not regret anything at the time. It was her way to get rid of the prolonged trouble she had had enough. She wanted to free herself, but with poor results.  
— Will you help me? — A loud cry from the living room wrenched her out of her reverie.  
She sighed quietly, putting away the decorations she had played with, embellishing gingerbread. She adjusted her Santa's hat, which was twisting on her head, entering the living room. She found a lot of confusion there. Several boxes with decorations were spread over bright panels, individual chains fell on their sides. The rim to be brought to the front door was on the couch, with tangled lights attached to it. In the middle of this mess Chester stood in a characteristic red sweater with a reindeer print. When she saw him in the morning in this issue, she could not help laughing. Her joy quickly faded as he pressed into her hands the same blouse and one of the elements of Santa's costume. She protested, but her complaints did not impress him, he insisted that it was their little tradition. She shrugged at the mere memory, then focused on the man who, tangled in black cables, tried to find their beginning, looking at the colored lights on his hands.  
She sighed quietly, overcoming the small obstacle course, she reached him, grabbing tangled threads of light from his neck. She slid off the nearby box, kneeling on the bright down carpet.  
— A terrible tangle — she murmured as she tried to find the first lights that would start the cable set up in the proverbial knot.  
— It's always like this, you're setting up the next year — he spread his hands helplessly.  
The quiet sound of carols and pastorals hovered in the air, played by huge home cinema speakers. Sometimes you could hear the singing house master for the next Christmas songs.  
— I have — she cried suddenly, lifting up her right hand in which she held the entrance to the socket.  
She disentangled herself from the tangle of cables, squeezing the brother's hand into the chain, then unraveled the colored lights that were supposed to hang on the side of the tree, which encouraged us to decorate with beautiful shimmering lights, hanging baubles or colorful chains. And put a big Bethlehem star on top of it.   
— Forgive me for asking, but how do boys spend Christmas? — she asked, hanging a shiny bubble on one branch.  
— Everyone, except Mike, are going to their families — he explained, taking out another ornament from the box.  
She froze for a moment, hearing his comments. She has not talked to the band about their families so far, sometimes they mentioned something about them, but she did not delve into it, she was not nosy to ask for everything. She was surprised that Michael did not intend to spend these days in a family atmosphere. She did not want to put forward guesses or some unproven theories, but she felt a twinge of regret. One question intrigued her, but before she could bite her tongue, words left her lips:  
— He stays alone in Los Angeles? — a noticeable note of sadness lurking in her voice.  
She heard the quiet sigh of the vocalist, and after a while he emerged behind a coniferous tree with a serious expression on his face that showed no good. She looked at him lightly uncertainly, not knowing what to expect.  
— Ever since I met him, he did not say anything about his relatives. Even Brad, who knows him for the longest, could not say what happened, that his intimacy with his family was so abruptly interrupted. We do not know anything about his parents or siblings, he hides the truth from us — he began to explain — I remember that every Christmas, when he was still with Taylor, he spent with her, or made a dinner together. I do not know anything more — he added, still quieter.  
— I see, in that case... — She broke off, not seeing whether to finish the thought that suddenly fell into her mind, but Chester sensed her moment of behavior.  
— I invited him to us — he said, giving her a gentle smile.  
Decorating the Christmas tree after the first difficulties did not cause them any more problems later. One could still hear the shouting siblings, or loud laughter, songs that gave the climate to their preparations. They made tomorrow's day inexorably fast. They did not look at the clocks when more hours passed while decorating their homes. Julia finally chased her brother into the kitchen to help her finish her, decorate the aromatic cakes when she was able to finish the dough she had prepared. Mike turned out to be a great help and he came up to them in the evening. Seeing the condition of the kitchen, he wanted to escape, but the teenager begged him for help, to the amusement of the vocalist and her surprise he agreed almost immediately.  
— You could write to me, I would come earlier — he said when the 18—year—old put the baking tray in the oven with the prepared baking cake.  
— You were not busy by accident? — a quiet question came over him.  
He glanced at the high school student who, setting the program on the electric kitchen, turned to look at them, then wiped her hands on the light kitchen towel. She threw him on the counter.  
— Not especially — he muttered, grabbing a gingerbread star.  
She looked at the screen of the oven, where the hour of baking was set, she sighed quietly, slipping into one of the bar stools, noticing the considerable loss of cookies that had landed in a large glass jar.  
— Knowing your nature, you've been working on something — the singer said, in a bored voice.  
— I did not do it — he replied in a hurry — I'm leaving with work for Christmas — he murmured.  
Suddenly, they heard a small laugh, looked at the amused teenager who was struggling to rest on the chair.  
— What's so funny to you young? — The older musician poked her sideways, making another wave of joy flow from her lips.  
Then a phone threw itself in his eyes, which she was looking through. An open one of the social networks showed a picture of some blonde with a strange face. Strands of hair flew around her face, thundering a perfect hairstyle.  
— Who is that girl? — curiosity, which instantly flooded him, told him to find out about the photo sought by her sister.  
— April Crystal — Shinoda explained, looking briefly at the commemorative photo — Julia's biggest rival — he added, as if it were the most natural one.  
—Beautifully compromised herself, I did not have to dip in these fingers — said high school student through laughter.  
— You never said why you do not like yourself — said the man.  
She could barely control the burst of joy falling on her lips, then looked at Michael. She did not give them too much of the facts about her school life and the things she did not communicate with her colleagues, she avoided this topic because she thought he was not interesting enough to talk about. She thought that some school matters were better not to bring home, it made her life much easier, because she did not want to worry about their youth affairs.  
— Elite Mike, is it something to tell you? It all started after I specifically pushed it. I do not want to be nice, but I landed on the floor instead of her — she added with indifference in her voice — I'm not going to sit quietly, if someone intends to make life difficult for me, I will not be a scapegoat for people whose ego is bigger than the Empire State Building — the tone of her voice rose slightly — Maybe in the previous high school, I would give myself a blow in the face, but now I'm not going to be quiet. Besides who they are? They are not distinguished by anything other than other students. The fact that their parents work in serious positions and earn a lot of money by which they can afford expensive things and a luxury home, is supposed to make them exalt themselves. You can not walk on laurels, I feel stupid sometimes even if I am aware that I do not make money on myself, I want to be a normal girl whose soda water has not hit my head — she explained.  
The musicians looked at each other, then to look at a slightly emotional teenager. The previous life made her have several important rules in her life, and above all she did not lose her heart. Hard work always leads to success. She did everything to make her paintings even better, she said that in the future she wanted to get satisfaction from it, but also to be able to maintain, but her shyness about showing her work to a wider audience distract her from this dream. She needed the confidence she gained in the school walls, opposing her rivals.  
They sat in the late evening on the comfortable cushions of the bright couch, the glow of the glowing Christmas tree wrapped around their tired but satisfied faces. Julia laid herself on the soft mattress, resting her legs on the lap of her brother, who clearly did not do anything about it, happy Junka was lying on her stomach, playing with her fingers. Shinoda left a few minutes ago, claiming he needed rest. The fire smoldering in the fireplace made the bitch of the gold retriever unfurl on the blanket by the blazing flames, in which she stared as if hypnotized, supporting her head on the forepaws. Nothing could stop them tonight, the peace and atmosphere of tomorrow's holidays were felt. A small pile of presents was spread under the tree, from which I will be taken out tomorrow and deprived of colored papers.  
— Will you tell me how you spent Christmas in an orphanage? — the sudden question ripped her from a light reverie.  
She looked down at her half-closed eyelids, at her brother, who was looking at her curiously, who was holding a cup of hot cocoa that she had prepared in her hands. She tried to hide the hint of sadness that had settled in her heart, she did not remember those moments, what was she going to say to him? The truth is that she never celebrated Christmas because she preferred to argue with the educators who tried to persuade her to a dinner together. Will you go back to lying again? He does not deserve to cheat him. She lowered her eyes, afraid to look into his eyes when her heart beat up in her breast mercilessly and she did not understand why it was happening. She was not aware of a single tear flowing down her cheek, dying in her red blouse, then another and the next.  
All these preparations and the atmosphere that prevailed here effectively repelled from her the sad thoughts that she had lived each year in this unique time. She forgot for a moment what depresses her, which makes her subcutaneous pain to bear this moment. She did not want to suffer anymore through her past, but she could not break away from her, she could not break up with her.  
— I'm sorry — she whispered, barely controlling the still choking voice.  
— You have nothing to apologize for — he said in a firm but gentle voice — I could have guessed that you would not want to talk about it — stroking her lightly on the back.  
— This is not about that I do not want to talk about it — she moved away from him, but she was still in his grasp — What should I say that I avoided holidays, even when the headmaster asked me to come and eat together with them . I could not stay with them. I had one damn night to forget what humiliation and pain meant to break the wafer. I preferred to play a cold bitch who does not care — she sighed softly, resting her head on his shoulder.  
He did not ask for anything more, he did not want to make her feel more self-conscious. He had to remain patient since he wanted to know her past. She was not ready to face the past and give them a chance to hear her. He knew it would be a difficult road, but it was not done for his sister.

The next day greeted them with a gloomy aura, clouds storming over the city that did not portend anything good. Inhabitants looked anxiously at the sky, as if they were afraid that he would soon be throwing in a loose stitch which was almost ridiculous. The rain slept on the roofs of the house, punctuating its familiar melody, disgusted Californians, the dominant weather began their last preparations for Christmas. Many families have already gone on holiday together, or went to their families, those who stayed decided to enjoy the holidays spent in a pleasant atmosphere of relaxation.  
She walked slowly down the ghalonds decorated with sparkling lights, bright steps, and her senses were struck by a subtle note of Christmas carols. She leaned against the railing, looking at the dressed tree standing in the corner of the living room. She had to admit that she had never imagined such holidays, stretched with human love or the warmth of a family home. Could she say that? She was not sure, but she knew that she had found her place on earth.  
She descended the last steps, going to the living room, stole a small gingerbread cake from the plate, biting into a bite of aromatic baking, looked around herself, trying to find her brother. She shrugged her shoulders slightly when she did not see him on the lower ground floor of the house, probably still sitting in the bedroom. She grabbed the gloves so she could take out the stinging meal, but she could not do it when the doorbell rang all over the house. She sighed quietly, pulled the soft material from her hands, throwing it on the counter, then switching off the electric stove.  
The clatter of her heels echoed down the corridor walls as she turned the key in the lock, letting in the visitor inside. She smiled slightly at the friend's doorstep with a slightly dissatisfied face as he stepped inside, folding a black umbrella.  
— Damn Feather — he murmured softy — Hello, host — he stole her small kiss on the hecek — Beautiful as always — he added, slightly quieter, as if in fear that someone had heard him.  
— I will not deny it by politeness — she laughed softly.  
They went to the living room, where two tetrapods came in, which immediately ran to greet the newly arrived guest. Using the moments of his not paying attention, she slipped into the kitchen, where she could finally take out the baked chicken that had been waiting for several minutes in the closure.  
They did nothing special, she and Chester decided that they would rather spend time together than bother to prepare Christmas, since there are only three of them. Early in the morning, when they both sat in her bedroom, her brother received invitations from her father who asked him to come to him tomorrow, you could immediately feel in the tone of his speech suggestions that he would not take her with him. She knew she would not go there anyway, she could not, look at her like a father who denied her, he dealt with tenderness his dearest daughter whom he had with the new ground floor.  
She had long persuaded the singer not to give up this proposal, she did not intend to interfere with his intimacy with her father, despite their tense relationship, because John's son decided to take care of his abandoned sister were quite tense, but somehow they were maintained. She said right away that she would rather spend those few hours alone. For her this man ceased to exist after their last meeting in the park. She did not want to meet him again.  
— You hid here — she turned away as she took off the glass vessel.  
Mike was in the entrance to the room. She looked at him closely. Dressed as always in an elegant red and white checked shirt and matching black pants. She chewed on the cheek from the inside, seeing him in this issue. She felt an ever stronger train to him that she could not ignore. Every time her heart ripped to him, she wanted to stifle it, make her feel like a nipple. Sometimes she could not stand the thoughts that were wandering about her mind, when the memories were effectively taken by the images of a handsome musician. She wanted to keep her promise, but the longer she was with him, whether she felt a damn passion of every touch, or longing for another kiss, which she loved to remember, her words of promise were moving away from her into the thick mist. What bothered her at the moment? Is this uncertainty whether he really loves him or is he possible fear of the appearance of the one who can destroy her love? Everything seemed so real and at the same time distant.  
— It feels strange how you look at me like that — he said in a deep voice.  
The subtlety of his speech made her hardly reject in her mind new visions of the potential taste of their passions. She stifled a groan of frustration, shoving her fork into the roasted tidbit to see if it was ready. She put on the cover again, stating that she needed another moment when her fingers moved across the electronic shield, and she shuddered slightly, feeling the warm touch of her hands that moved slowly across her waist. She held her breath when she felt herself gently push her long hair aside so she could see the dark color of Michael's gaze, who rested his chin on her shoulder, and the corner of his mouth rose unhappily as he wrapped her collarbone with a warm breath.  
— And what are you looking for here? — She whispered, pleading with her thoughts that her brother would not catch them.  
It was not that she was ashamed, but she preferred to avoid embarrassing suggestions or unfinished verbal overtones, which he loved to give her. She was tired of repeating that it was a purely friendly relationship, not a partner one, as an older musician believed.  
— I missed you a little — he was saying, his voice slightly muffled.  
— We saw each other yesterday — she said.  
— Not in that sense — he replied, turning her over in his arms — I think I've got used to your company so much, just to quit — he said, sending her a shiver of desire.  
She missed him too, she could not admit it to herself, but she liked his close company. Not only at the usual times, when they sat in the kitchen preparing for the next day, which she was to spend at school, and he escaped to create music. They lacked themselves, those moments that could only be together without the awareness of the presence of their friends or acquaintances.  
— Did you find the one you were looking for? — she became curious when she let herself be cuddled up in her, and she felt like she was three weeks ago when she lay in his embrace after quite a grand party on her birthday.  
— He stands right in front of me — he whispered softly to her ear.  
She stood like paralyzed, she did not expect such a sincere answer, but she was more stunned by the fact that the person he so persistently searched for became a friend whom he had met only half a year earlier. However, the more she thought about it, she was convinced that perhaps her intimacy with Michael had been directed to something other than friendship from the beginning, but she did not want to admit it. They both went through difficult moments. She gave him something that his ex-partner trusted him. He let her know again the taste of the passion suppressing her, she had the impression that over time she noticed in him not only a friend whom she could always rely on, but suggestively filled her gray colorless feeling world. As if he knew how to get to her and make her heart go crazy with love. She clenched her hands on his shirt as she scarcely moved away from the thoughts that had been knocking in her mind since she'd let him into the apartment.  
— Why does it matter to me that way? — She was not aware that the words were coming from her mouth.  
She did not have time to think about the mistake she made, even though she did it unconsciously, did she trust her to act like a coward and ask her to forget about it? It seemed ridiculous because she was aware that she would not fulfill her request. Her confession was, however, sincere, which had been crowing in her mind for many weeks.  
Chester leaned against the door frame, watching with a gentle smile the scene that was taking place in the kitchen. Perhaps he did not show it, but he saw love blossoming between these two young people. They refused to think about mutual affection, but it was felt in the air when they were next to each other. They declared that they did not want to get involved in any relationships, but the weeks they spent together allowed them to get to know each other and give themselves a chance. He had a strange feeling that they would look at their eyes and see that the love they are looking for is right next to them. Everyone would think that he should stop his sister from meeting an elderly man as soon as he saw that he was beginning to feel something more than friendship, but whether he would be able to take away their love and himself. Mike needed a partner like the younger Bennington, emotional, quiet but with a small claw that would allow her to defend herself. He needed him to dig into his heart. Rub off what he closed after an unsuccessful relationship with Smith. The back that was most needed to him at the moment. She gained a man who can take care of her so that she can feel calm and safe in her arms, forgetting her sorrows. Be with her even in moments of her own doubts or sufferings. That she would be aware that someone really loves her.  
— Excuse me for bothering you, but soon the chicken will burn.  
T he frightened couple jumped away from each other, laughed quietly seeing their mixed faces. He laughed softly at their violent reactions, and I thought that they were behaving like children caught by their parents in some kind of deed, as if they were adults who had no meaning at all.   
— Go to the living room, I will come in a moment — he chased still some frightened friends, taking out the roasting cramps from the oven.  
— Chester, I'm begging you, do not scare me like that — the teenager whimpered, pulling the music behind her.  
— Sister, it's my fault that you were disturbing yourself in him — he laughed as he saw the girl's thundering eyes.  
She sighed heavily, disappearing on the doorstep, mumbling something about the prying eyes of the male ego. He loved to tease her, but it pleased him more when she gave him some biting remarks. This is called human relations.  
After a great dinner, they settled on couches, not wanting to even check their gifts. The singer jumped wearily through the next TV channels, looking for something interesting to watch, but none of the comedies attracted his attention.  
— Leave it! — Julia shouted suddenly, almost without letting go of the pilot.  
He looked at the screen, where he saw the initial scenes of a family comedy from the nineties. The scene was shown by a family running around the house, who was in a hurry packing for a Christmas trip.  
— Did you really watch Kevin? — he was surprised, out of the corner of his eye looking at the teenager's TV screen staring at the screen.  
— Stay silent and mean, if you do not want to watch, do it, cocoa — effectively chew it.  
He sighed quietly, rising from the couch. He also liked to watch the movie, but she did not want to expose her sister much more. He returned after a while with three mugs of hot substance, and he saw that the teenager had settled comfortably on Mike's lap, who unwittingly played with strands of her hair.  
He set the dishes on a low table, grabbing gingerbread from the plate, looking at the next action that was taking place in the film production. It was not without continuous comments or laughter. Although each of them knew the film directed by Chris Columbus they watched him with bated breath as when they saw him for the first time.  
The clocks showed a few minutes past ten when they unpacked the gifts that rested under the decorated tree. Small things, but they were a great pleasure to everyone. They sat for a long time, deciding to drink a glass of wine.  
Julia had to admit that despite such modest holidays, she could not imagine them better than now, because she could not imagine anything more. Spending him in the company of brother and best friends was all she wanted. For the first time, she felt happy when the first star fell in the sky, which began these great holidays.

She woke up on Christmas day with a slight headache and a gentle smile on her lips. She dug up the phone from under the pillow, which still received notifications from friends with Christmas wishes and photos that they did with their family. They looked really beautiful. She wrapped herself in the soft material of her favorite satin robe, stepping out into the hall. She put the phone in her pocket, running down the stairs to the living room, where, surprisingly, it was surprisingly quiet.  
While eating breakfast, Junka approached the kitchen, followed closely by Anika, who immediately came up to the bowls filled with dog food, eating the best. She finished the meal, dropping dirty dishes into the dishwasher. Having nothing interesting to do, she still threw herself on the couch in the pajamas, including the television.  
— Are you planning a full day in a nightgown?  
— I do not exclude such an option — she said, looking at the brother's apartment going up the stairs — I have nothing interesting to do — she added as she watched him disappear at the doorstep of the kitchen.  
— Ask Mike if I will not be here — He's sitting alone too, at least you'll be together.  
— As you never have a perfect brother's idea — she shouted suddenly, grabbing the phone dropped on the pillows.  
Unlocked the screen, and then found a private conversation with Shinoda, who strangely active. She dialed a quick message asking if he would agree to come to her, when he asked if her brother would promptly hurry with explanations.  
— I think I know why you want it so badly — he heard his soft laughter — You want to be alone with him.  
— Shut up! — she tried to make her voice serious, but she could barely control the delicate blush on her cheeks.  
They had spent the morning hours talking or common tomfoolery with their four—legged friends. When the clocks indicated a few minutes after sixteenth Chester said that he would go to prepare. She also decided not to greet her guest in pajm, which she did not part with all day long. She dug a dress made of light fabric from the interior of the wardrobe, which in the bottom formed in strings with gold trim, the cut was simple, did not hurt like in the eyes. Supported on delicate straps, the creations perfectly matched the slightly twisted hair, over which a good half hour was tiring. Slipping the gold-blue bracelet on her wrist, she pulled the gold—heels heels from under the dressing table, which she put on her feet. She left the bedroom, going through the corridor, after a while to be on the ground floor. She saw her brother standing in the hall, who slowly slipped the black jacket over his shoulders.  
— You look great sister — he praised her, gently bending over her.  
He kissed her on the cheek, then grabbed the abandoned keys and the phone from the dresser.  
— Thank you.  
— I'm gone, if I do not come back for the night, I went to Kate — he only said, opening the door almost overturning a friend standing in it — Hey old! Have fun! He shouted.  
She laughed softly when she heard another suggestion from her brother's lips. She looked up at the man who was entering, who also clearly sensed the friend's allusions.  
— Does he think that we... — looked at a cheery teenager who only nodded her head can not stop another burst of joy.  
— Yes — she said after a moment, still somewhat amused by the whole situation.  
Then in her eyes she threw a maroon bag held by him. She invited him inside, receiving a gift from him. She felt that it promised to be a really great evening.  
Resting in the living room, they were not aware when it was getting dark outside, and the message left on the phone of the high school girl was not read when she drank another glass of exquisite red wine, and the background was filled with delicate music played through the stereo speakers. Alcohol began to roar in their heads when they did not even know what they were laughing at.  
The alcohol circulated dangerously in her veins, consciousness overshadowed the smell of extravagance drinks, and the movements were getting bolder. She cursed her submissive nature just after eating more wine, the more relaxed rules that ruled her somehow pushed aside. On the one hand, it was such a delightful feeling, on the other it made her somewhat worried. She was afraid she made mistakes which she regretted. However, you only live once if you do not experience life in your teenage years, what will remain of it when you have to think about your future and possibly about a family that you were not sure if you could set it up.  
She grabbed a thin neck between her fingers, in which a blood-red drink reflected on the walls of the vessel. She put a slightly decorated glass to her lips, and the subtle aroma of red wine spread over her throat, leaving behind a sour cherry and ethanol aftertaste. The smell that put people in a blissful state, a consciousness from which they did not want to break free. With a slightly cloudy look, she stared at the maroon drink she was sipping, glancing with a glance as she saw that the decorated glass escaped from her slightly tensing hands. She looked up, meeting the depths of brown eyes, it seemed to her that their intensity had intensified, it seemed as if she was drowning in the sea of this lustful feeling he had given her. Silent across the glass stunned her senses. Mad Manoush's pop note was one of his songs, Night Tango, who torn the silence around them.  
He took her hands with a gentle embrace, easily lifting her legs, strings of petticoats as if playing with the air in the same game. He took her into the whirl of the dance, turning her gently and the cloth her creations co-operated with her. She drowned in the subtlety of silence and the strumming of the guitar's strings, which sounded melodious in the quiet play of tearing the violinist.  
— I did not even invite me to dance — she said in a subdued voice, feeling the delicate scent of his perfume, dying in the depths of drunk alcohol.  
With difficulty, she remained focused, staring at the glow of his slightly shining eyes, feeling almost the electricity that had swelled around their bodies. She let herself be carried away, feeling his hand that wrapped her around her waist, her hands clasped as she saw from under the lightly half-closed eyes as a gentle smile danced on his lips, and her heart filled with some strange feeling as if she were to be prepared for it known. The correctness of the prompting of her body was her salvation when he led her to the rhythm of the flowing notes of a calm melody, and her senses were sharpened as she brought to mind the next steps of Argentinian tango. She knew the body movement too well, which was almost dripping with passion and eroticism, which was almost overwhelming, but did it bother her? She loved this dance, it may seem strange that after two years of lack of a partner with whom she could get into such a love dance she should forget how her body should move, however she remembered the last words of a woman who began to teach her the dance "Tango it is nothing less than the lust of both partners. Steps are written to you if your souls cling to each other. It is the quintessence of feelings burning in hearts" She heard her slightly quickened breath as she wrapped her cheeks with her hands. They almost touched their foreheads, had the impression that she held her breath when she felt his hand, which slowly tightened on her hip, through the delicate fabric of the dress. The moment that would last for a few seconds for her turned into endless minutes that flew on the wall hung on the wall.  
— Perhaps they were now posing for me — his warm breath wrapped around her cheeks, and she could barely resist the smile that made her almost stop her heart from working.  
With difficulty, she shook off a slight shock, moving slightly away from the man above her, almost to the bones of the ballerina, going to the next position, which forced them to close contact anyway. She was surprised that he had mastered this dance in such an excellent way, she did not suspect him of Argentinian dance tones of love.  
She was disappointed that the song was slowly coming to an end, and they both felt that their bodies worked together as if they had been waiting for the other person for years. They were a compatibility that is rarely found in these dance steps, and it was not about passion and satisfaction in attending dance competitions, but what connects passionate lovers after dark, dripping with passion and desire. When the last sounds of Night Tango rang in the background, her partner used her moments of not paying attention, sinking again into her sensual mouth, tasting the delicate aroma of cherry and chocolate.  
It was one moment when their passion joined them.


	34. TOM 1— REBEL : 33 — THIS MELODY WILL BRING, YOU NIGHT BACK HOME

Floating in the background, free music, enveloped the living room, half-dark. Covering the mantle created of passion, the subtle fragrance of desire set them in the wonderful kind of unconscious passion that joined them. The quiet sounds of pop song The Face performed by brothers Ryan and Dan, made their bodies even begging for closeness, thirsting for touches, whispers or sensitive gestures. Aware of their deeds, they let themselves be carried away when their senses and common sense eclipsed the laziness of the specific thirst that smothered their breasts.  
It is said that tango is a dance composed of passion mixing with the sweetness and sensuality of the lovers' bodies, which is whirling to the rhythm of Argentinian footsteps. He kept a subtle hint of eroticism. Desire that surrounded two compliant bodies. He stimulated the deepest kind of passion that they could afford.  
She could hear her breathing faster than she could, trying, not even trying to control her emotional body. She now had the illusion of hope that her senses did not cooperate with her limbs. At the same time, it was such a blissful and desirable hope that her desires could become a living illustration painted on a white sheet of paper, which, under the good hand of the artist, took on the contours so that he could then fill it with the shadow of his emotions. She could only transfer a drawing of desire to the pages.  
Despite the awareness of her true feelings for the musician, she tried at all costs, to forget about the desire to get closer to her breast, to know him, but in a different aspect than just a faithful friend. She felt that this time she must forget, erase the thirst and feelings that she gave to the young man. Was he overwhelming her with the awareness that he was more important to her than her colleagues she could talk to on any topic? In a way she was afraid to give her heart to him. The fear of losing her did not allow her to experience true happiness, but on the other hand it was stronger than her, at every moment when he was with her, she wanted to sink in the glow of his dark gaze which she loved so much. To taste again the sweetness of his full lips, not wanting to erase from the memory that they must forget at any moment that they longed for their lips to meet in a passionate kiss. However, it was stronger than them and they both knew well that they would not be able to kill their feelings. They could not do it, and they did not want it.  
As spellbound, she looked into his dark eyes full of feelings. She loved staring at the bright glow that brightened in his eyes. The tempting aftertaste of his hot lips brought her to the delight she so longed for. She loved the passion that was so familiar to them when they shared the sweetness of passion.  
She felt like the smell of beverages, making her headache. The picture was getting blurred more and more, and she did not realize how alcohol took full control over her. The world swirled in front of her eyes, and his breath caught in his throat. Uncertainly she took a step backward, moving back to the towering Michael, a drunken smile began to wander on her slightly chapped mouth, with difficulty hiding the laughter that led her by the breast. It was only now that she realized she had bought a mixture, but she did not regret it. She could not forget about it.  
She was no longer able to stay on the slightly high heels that began to sting her feet, the desire to get rid of uncomfortable shoes was huge. She bent to unhook the dark bolts of her sandals, lost control of her body. With a quiet laugh, which she could no longer hide, she fell on the soft carpet.  
Then she noticed the brunette leaning over her, who was looking at her with a slight amusement. He could not hide the expression of joy on his lips when he saw her unfortunate accident.  
— You see what you are doing to me — she said in a somewhat accusing tone.  
She stood on her elbows, measuring him with her blue eyes. She held her breath as she approached the dangerous distance to his somewhat pale face.  
— Is it how I work for you? — He asked as their faces separated by only a centimeter.  
He leaned on his shoulders, which he placed next to her shoulders, and she sank again in the light of his mesmerizing gaze.  
She bit her cheek from the inside when the sense of his words hurt her senses. What would answer him that she loved every moment spent with him. She loved every way she kissed her. She seemed to be addicted to her. But is it possible to fall into an addiction due to the lack of presence of another person? It seemed preposterous to her. However, the more he let her taste a little of this characteristic passion of passion and love, she was convinced that she wanted a greater intimacy. She was terrified of her feelings for Mike, but she needed her so badly. Stabilization and awareness that she could create a happy relationship. However, she was harassed by thoughts whether he also felt what she was up to. He was able to love a girl full of secrets? A teenager who was only eighteen years old at the age of eighteen. Many of the unknowns were in her life, for which she wanted to know the answers, and at the same time she wanted to live in a blissful unconsciousness.  
— Mike... — she whispered, gasping for breath.

— Julia!  
She jumped up from the bench, panicked about the source of the noise. Frightened, she looked into the eyes of Adam Smith, who hit the book on the desk of her bright desk, recalling it again to reality. He measured her with the look of his bright irises, correcting the somewhat crooked black frames of the glasses that glided from his nose.  
— Can you tell me what I was talking about a moment ago?  
The teenager froze, stealthily looking towards her friend who did not even pay attention to her, bending over her notes on sheets of paper, marking something bright with a green marker in the black casing.  
She raised her eyes full of uncertainty to the somewhat angry professor. She tried to figure out what the man was talking about, but she was too absorbed in her memories to be able to answer. She stuttered, trying to say something, the educator sighed resignedly, flipping a sheet of his notebook to the next page, then said with resignation:  
— This time he gives you, please, however, focus on the lesson — he ordered.  
— Okay — she replied, bending over her notebook.  
She heard the sound of Mr. Smith's steps following the class, telling the story of the author of their last reading. Bored, she rested her hand on the wooden counter, staring at her notes from the beginning of the lesson.  
A few days had passed since the end of the Christmas break, and she could not focus her thoughts on anything other than the evening she spent with Michael. She would remember every moment she went with him, every gesture, feeling or words that were spoken at that time. It still seemed to her a beautiful dream from which she could not wake up, yet every day she had to convince herself that it was reality. Come, she spent every free moment with him, and she could get to know the passions earlier. However, this memorable Christmas evening, she had the impression that there was something special that she could not, she would define it in one way.  
She could not describe it!  
She knew what she felt then, what desires ruled her with her poor heart, but she still did not dare to admit to herself that her feelings for Michael were not just stupid infatuation, as she initially thought. However, what is much stronger and more durable. She kept telling herself that she would not give in to love, she would not be able to take her nose with this treacherous feeling. He will not break his promise. Everything, however, was going in the wrong direction. She fought it, but the power of love was stronger than her. It was not supposed to end like that. She could not love her friend.  
With a groan of frustration, she fell to the top of the bench, when she heard a loud commotion caused by a bell for a big break, which even called on the students to spend less than an hour talking to friends or eating a second breakfast in the school cafeteria. She was still sitting on this uncomfortable chair, she did not see her friends who sat on the desk, which Selena occupied during the lesson. Brunette lips curled in a bright and happy smile. French leaned against her shoulder, supporting her chin in her hand.  
— So Amor's arrow caught you — the blue—haired giggled, seeing the state of her good friend.  
— Mari is not funny!  
A quiet rumble of discontent reached them, sighed sighly, rising from the desk, resting on the dark chair back.  
— Who is this? — the curious nature of the young Adams, told her to know the secret of her best friend.  
— And did I say that I'm in love with someone? — she indignated, crossing her hands on her chest.  
But she knew well that she would not be able to hide her love anymore, she'd known her familiar for too many months, to have some illusory hope that they would let her go, and I would not ask for a mysterious boy who would take over the young Miss Bennington. From the moment of her birthday, the designer declared that only her friendship had ceased to be binding between her and Shinoda. At that time, however, she did not listen to her, still convinced that she must be wrong and that her heart only stupid. But now she had to admit her mistaken look or simply destroy the mask she created when she understood that her feelings for Michael were beginning to go beyond their former relationship  
— Honey, for a few days walk eternally thoughtful, you are flying in your own world — she took up Selena's subject — You can not focus even on trivialities. You lose concentration, honey, and now that's it — She pointed to her workbook with notes.  
She did not fully understand her last words, lowered her eyes, and a stupid drawing of her heart appeared on her eyes, strewn on one side of the notebook. Terrified, she dragged the page, crushing her into a ball, stating that she had never done it. She rose from the seat, going to the basket, throwing away unnecessary trash.  
— I do not love him — She tried to make her voice confident, but failed her when she needed it most when he shuddered in several places.  
She did not try to convince her closest friends, but herself. She began to slowly wail herself, tried to always find sensible solutions in the situation, but now she could not even think of anything.  
— You have a disavowal syndrome — she looked at the brunette heading towards her, on her lips still wandered this happy smile — At the moment you lie to yourself.  
She felt her legs bend under her, she fell to her knees in the middle of the English room. She covered her face with her hands, and her body shook a sudden sob, which she could not stop. She did not cry because of the truth she realized. A sudden fear shook her body as she remembered that it had also started like this before. In love with no memory in a boy who was everything to her. The relationship that began to flourish and when they began to cultivate the relationship that connected them. Everything, however, started to go bad when a young man appeared in her life who ruined her visions of love and true happiness.  
She did not want it to happen again. She did not endure the profession that seemed unavoidable. The thought of losing Michael made her sick. It depended on him like nobody else. That's why she would not allow this sweet feeling of love for her heart. But now that it had seized her with her heart, she had no idea what to do.  
She put a watery cheek to her friend's collarbone, who crouched in front of her, embracing her in a caring embrace. The drops of salt water sipping from her bright eyes were lost in a bright, dark-haired blouse.  
— What should I do girls? — She asked in a whisper when he managed to calm down.  
She accepted a small fragrant handkerchief from the palm of a blonde who sat on cold tiles, taking a colored parcel out of the school bag. The delicate make-up she had done in the morning had flowed with the tears that rolled down her cheeks, leaving the dark mascara streaks on the soft material.  
— Do you love him, right? — Emily's question was almost like a statement that all of them were certain.  
— I would say earlier that no, but now — resigned, she looked at her friends sitting next to her — Something changed, I began to perceive our relationship in a way that I would deny earlier. But this relationship would not be possible anyway!  
She rose to her feet, to the surprise of the girls, went a few steps just to stare at the picture of the high school students playing on the lush lawn just outside the school building. She closed her eyes, then felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. They turned her back, and she opened her eyelids, noticing the face of the blonde in front of her.  
— Why?  
— He's a lot older than me! I'm bound to be with a guy in their late twenties.  
She saw girls exchanging meaningful looks, as if confirming with one suggestion of their assumption about the man in which their best friend had fallen in love. Unexpectedly, she heard a soft laugh, she looked around slightly to look stunned at the slightly stooped Selena, who laughed to her side.  
— Honey, so it's just Mike's age, will they stop you? — Said Adams, after a moment of silence  
— How do you know it's him? — she asked, surprised.  
Amused brunette only after a moment managed to calm down, she tried to take a serious look on her face again, but the wandering smile on her lips effectively prevented her from doing so.  
— I'm not stupid — she said with a lightness in her voice — I've only seen you once, but you could not help but notice how you act on yourself. Your behavior was natural, but there was something specific about it that you only understood. I am not able to say anything about your relationship from my perspective, because I could only see you at your birthday. Julia, give yourself a chance. I see how, sometimes you look with envy, at me or a girl, when we are with the boys, you can see that you also want the same. Honey, everyone has the right to love, even you. Do not put obstacles under your feet. If you have a chance for true love, let her settle in your heart — she finished her monologue.  
— And if he does not love me — she said in a low voice.  
A wave of doubts overwhelmed her, she knew that she should not be disturbed, but fear made her known again. The moment she wanted to start again.  
— He will never be stranger to you.  
She was not aware of how true the words of the blonde are.

She walked through her favorite park. She walked along a gravel path, holding a dark leash in her clenched hand, which was attached to Anika's collar, who stalked forward proudly, wagging her tail cheerfully. She knew that soon she would go for such walks with her little friend. The puppy was still too small for such long trips outside, the opinion of the vets would be able to take her outside in about two months. She sighed softly as she unhooked the dark string from the golden retractor's neck. She watched the bitch, who without control ran eagerly, but could still keep an eye on her. She sat on the edge of the bench, where an elderly woman sat down. Gray hair fell on her shoulders hidden behind a bright hat. A powdered suit enveloped her body, hiding a matching dress under her. The woman looked neat and full of elegance despite the old age. Sandals on a delicate heel complemented the lady's outfit, which bored the quiet melody under her nose, looking for her granddaughter who was playing at the nearby playground.  
A few days had passed since her conversation with her friends, the middle of the month was slowly approaching, and she could not erase their words from her mind. She found herself getting more and more accustomed when she was meeting Michael. She did not act like other girls who avoided meeting the guys who liked them. She was not able to do that, she would enjoy every moment she could spend with him, talk to her, or just laugh at things that were not important. There was a noticeable atmosphere around them, however, from the end of that evening. The team quickly noticed the change and tried to find out what had happened, but they only looked at each other without answering their questions. They were not surprised by the interest they aroused in them, but they could not quite say what had changed between them. They were more and more thirsty for their closeness, but they maintained the appearance of ordinary friends. They had to, but you had lost the feeling of desire that was waking up every time they met. She felt that she was slowly destroying her, every time she saw him, she promised herself that she would tell him the truth, confess her feelings.  
Chickened out!   
She was ashamed of her sudden shyness. From the first meeting they did not feel uncomfortable with his presence, but now something was frightening and did not allow him to stand in front of him and say what is bothering her heart and mind.  
She loved him!  
She should stand with her head up slightly and finally say the simple three words that now seemed like a daunting challenge for her.  
Why is love so difficult?  
She did not see her companion, she called a small brunette to her, calling her. She heard the old woman say something about returning home, because it was time for afternoon tea. The happy child climbed to his knees, old women kissing her on a pale cheek.  
She suddenly felt frightened when she heard the characteristic sound of breaking leaves. She turned around worried about the source of the noise. It should come as no surprise to her, many residents of the metropolis walked around her, but suddenly she felt a burning sensation drowning in her breasts. She recalled a memory from several years ago when she felt the strange feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around, but did not see anything that could arouse her suspicions, the only thing she noticed was the retreating posture of a tall figure who had disappeared behind one of the gates leading to a park full of flowers.  
She called Anika, who went to her after a moment, very happy, holding some branches in her mouth. She clearly wanted to aport, but could not fulfill her request this time. She rose from the bench, grabbing the abandoned leash on the dark taunt of the bench. She fastened it to the collar to the dissatisfaction of the bitch, who began to break away as soon as she led her toward the exit.


	35. TOM 1— REBEL : 34 —  THE END OF LIES

She crossed the threshold of the school, where feverish discussions of her peers or younger class students had been going on, all the whispers or words spoken until now were frozen as they stared at the teenagers in the passageway. She stopped in the doorway, looked around at the high school students gathered in the corridor, saw some white sheets of paper in her hands, something printed, but she could not see what was written or painted on it from this distance. She moved restlessly under the watchful eye of her colleagues, looking around carefully. She did not even know what she was looking for, which would make her suspicious. She did not stay in ignorance for a long time because of the young people around her, talking among themselves in low voices.  
Her attention was drawn to the poster suspended on the creamy-creviced walls of the educational institution, her brow creasing in a slight astonishment, she broke off the printed paper with a sultry movement and traced the written text with her eyes. She died when she reached the photo at the end of a tiny article.  
— What the hell is that!? — She screamed.  
A group of first year girls standing nearby fluttered to one of the nearest corners, where they hoped to hide from the angry high school graduate, whose face turned red from the rage that lay dormant in her breast. They knew well that they could not mess with her. She has proven many times that she is capable of anything when someone hurts her or spreads unwanted or mendacious rumors about her. April Crystal was proof of this when, trying to destroy the reputation of her school rival, she was thinking up more and more ideas about Julia. She had regretted that she had decided to ask her at the very beginning when she hoped that she would humiliate her like other students, almost forcing her to obey. However she was unyielding and she did not give up, you just got so easy. With time, she answered her taunts with redoubled strength, the queen of the school elite had to gather long after those failures. The outspoken temperament of young Bennington has already become a few times even teachers themselves.  
There was an unpleasant silence, no one dared to speak, the only sound that could be heard was the rustle of attempts to hide some of the students' articles that they saw just after coming to school.  
No one dared answer her, trying to disappear from her sight.  
— Crystal!  
A scream of fury rolled over the corridor bathed in the sudden silence. In an energetic step, she traversed the well-known corridors, and the students of the Californian high school on her way went down her path. They already knew that they were facing another confrontation between the two girls who had been competing with each other since the first week of school. No one could have predicted how it would end and come, usually there was no more than a loud exchange between them, heard voices that Julia would lose all her patience and hit the blonde, which was very likely on that day.  
She almost crossed the corners, heading towards the school playground, where the self-proclaimed blonde was often seen in the company of her somewhat stupid colleague in her cheerleading uniforms. However, she could not reach the juicy grass, where footballers of the school team played matches with the company.  
She felt a strong hug unexpectedly, tried to break free, wanting to find her unpopular friend, but the person who held her was stronger than her. She scrambled her head up to look who laughed at her, then she saw the slightly disheveled blonde hair of a well-built high school student, but she could not see his face and could not say who he was, but she had her feelings that rattled her mind. When the silent crack of the biological laboratory door came to her, she turned away, and an angry voice spread across the room:  
— Did you leave the rest of Agreste!?  
Adrien stood in front of her with a dead expression on his face. Since the last ball, when in front of the whole school, he apologized to everyone, especially the girls who fell victim to him, he changed completely. From what Marinette told her, the eighteen-year-old again became as she remembered him from France where they both learned. She was more and more convinced of her former sympathy when he did everything to let the girl forgive him. There was a huge change in it, but no one still knew what had affected him, that from the school casanova he had become a calm and laid-back boyfriend who had long since begun working as a model in his parents' fashion house.  
Despite the fact that she still did not like him, there was a slight hope in her heart that he would eventually like this boy somehow. She saw in him a huge potential, however, stifled by the podrywacza created by him. She respected him for trying to change and try to fix the mistakes, but it was a drop in this huge sea of his attempts to find the old Adrien in himself.  
Then he took from his bag the same printed sheet of paper she held in her clenched hand, bending it between her fingers.  
— Did you see that?  
— You ask stupid questions — she raised her voice slightly - How I could not see it. She hung it all over the school!  
— Not only is she the cause of this confusion.  
He knew too well the conflict that Julie and April had combined, even those uninterested in the high school graduation question knew that teenagers could not get in the way because it ended with an unnecessary verbal or stupid insults they threw at themselves.  
— What are you talking about?  
He saw the astonishment in her eyes that obscured the desire to get a blonde and beat her up in some dingy street. He sighed quietly, took a dark phone from inside the pocket of his sweatshirt. He unlocked it to search the folders for an interesting video recording when he witnessed an unusual scene. He did not know what prompted him to find the smartphone in his pocket and record this rather unusual meeting. After a short moment he noticed the saved video in his gallery. He approached the girl, handing her the device, slid his finger across the screen to start watching the conversation of two teenagers.  
Julia looked at him suspiciously, but then she focused her eyes on the flickering screen. She saw through the leaves of the palm, turn her back to April's camera, over her shoulder she saw the familiar face of Will? She stared more into the young man's face, as if not quite believing what she saw at the moment.  
William Wilson talked freely to her biggest rival, as if the previously rather tense relationship between them had long since been forgotten. She wanted to wipe her eyes in amazement, but the next words completely surprised her.  
— Are you sure of that? Have you seen her with this Shinoda? — she asked the girl clearly excited — That vocalist Linkin Park?  
— I've been explaining you for a few minutes! — Brunet impatient - They have something in common and it's not friendship, as she tried to tell me.  
A stream of words was drowned out by the ringing bell that sounded in the recording, which announced the return to school classes. She saw the two plotters go away in the same direction, and after a moment she noticed only the black, which was the sign of the ending of the recording.  
She lifted her head, staring dumbfound at Adrien, whom she had given him his property. The blond hid the dark Ipad inside his dark jacket. He did not speak when he looked at the stupid teenager, whose voice stuck in the larynx. She opened her mouth to let her shut up, disappointed by the lack of words she had uttered.  
She did not know what to think about all of this in a moment, her secret, which she watched so much, came to light, betrayed by the person to whom she had some confidence.  
He betrayed her!  
He promised to keep her acquaintance with the popular band in secret. However, now that she was analyzing the film shown by her young Agreste, she could not believe how wrong she was about him. She considered him a worthy friend. However, since their conversation at the cafe and his unsuccessful attempt to invite her on a date, their relations have become somewhat cold. She counted, however, that her contact with Will would not be interrupted only because she turned him away, she could not return his love. She did not want to hurt him, and she clearly did. She did not intend to cheat him, however. He was important to her, but not as much as he expected it. She liked him, but would she be able to love him? She knew the story too well. No! Her heart was beating for someone else.  
Would he really go so far to such a crude behavior that he would somehow gain her attitudes trying to destroy her, just to get to her heart somehow? She did not tolerate such behavior, what did he want to achieve? In an instant she did not know how to deal with the rumors that were already rolling on the walls of high school. Always resourceful, able to find a cut retort, now she had a complete emptiness in her head. She dropped into a nearby chair, looking down at the white board on which the drawing of the cell was sketched. What was she supposed to do? This one thought was galloping on the head, giving no peace. Her talent for creative solutions is gone. She failed herself. She looked at the still-quiet Adrien, who stood in the middle of the room, not even daring to speak, for a long moment.  
— What are you doing now? — He asked quietly.  
— I have no idea — she admitted after a moment, sighing softly.  
— Gossip is already spreading, I do not know if it's true or not, but you have to do something about it — said the boy, hammering another arrow into her heart.  
He was right. She had to think of something or react in some way before it developed more. She could not allow it to reach the media, there is not a small magazine in the school newspaper, which despite its low recognition, when it touches a rather desirable topic by large publishing houses, can become the main topic. Maybe she was exaggerating, but along with Chester they wanted to keep the events from several months before the public opinion.  
— I know Adrien — she muttered quietly.  
She slid off the stool, walking up to the boy who did not even dare move. She looked at him with her penetrating blue eyes, making the young boy step back, fearing the next step of the girl.  
— Can you send me this video?  
She spoke with such calmness, as if nothing could break her, and the recent news did not raise any reaction in her. However, he guessed that the girl was trying to come up with a plan that would plunge her rival. He found his phone in his pocket, taking it out. Asking her for the username, he heard a single sound, which meant that his message had come.

Chester Bennington, since taking care of his less than seventeen-year-old sister, did not feel so much worried about her than this morning. He walked restlessly around the apartment, unsuccessfully dialing the teenager's number, who was still silent. He sighed deeply, resting his hands on the counter of the kitchenette, through the branches of a nearby tree he stared at the closed brass gate that led to the house. He hoped he would see her, but the longer he looked at the black doorknob that had not even moved, he had more and more apprehensions that were stirring in his mind.  
He returned to the apartment yesterday only when the clock was seven o'clock. He hoped that he would see a teenager spread in the living room in front of the TV with the dogs lying next to her, but the two quadrupeds lay on the carpet in front of the fireplace, revived immediately when he crossed the threshold of the living room. They ran up to him, they came at him with such impetus, almost not turning him over. He was troubled by the lack of calls he received, and at any time when he tried to contact her, her phone was out of range. The last attempt to call her turned out to be impossible when the irritated female voice sounded in the phone announcing that the phone had been turned off. So he gave up everything he did to try to get home. It was not like Julia. She belonged to people who always answered the news, even when someone called her at three o'clock in the morning, she could, pick up the phone and after a short argument that she was interrupted, she listened attentively to what someone had to say to her. But now her phone was silent. He left the bag on the sofa, climbing up the bright steps of the apartment, hoping to find it in his bedroom. Entering the brightly lit bedroom, he did not see the teenager anywhere, the room looked unpolluted from the morning. Everything remained in its place, even the abandoned sweatshirt, which she eventually gave up just before going to school.  
He tried to call her, but everything came to nothing when he heard that irritating voice of the answering machine again. Frustrated, he threw the phone at the glass table in the living room. He knew that his sister was now an adult, and if anything happened, he would manage. However, the months he spent with her made him unable to sit so calmly with the thought that Julia did not give a sign of life.  
Was that how his mother felt when he did not come back home for the night on the drunken parties organized by his friends? He did not pay attention to leaving the message to the parent that he would not come back to worry about him. Now that he took over the teenager, he began to understand what it meant to be responsible for someone. Although his sister was eighteen, he took care of her until the end of school. He still wondered why she did not reply even to text messages.  
Supporting her hands on the kitchen counter, staring at the electronic watch on the kitchen radio, which indicated a few minutes after ten o'clock in the morning. He should have been in the studio for a long time, but he could not stop worrying about his sister who had not known about her since yesterday afternoon. He wrote a brief message to his colleagues that he would be late, trying to get in contact with teenagers.  
He had already picked up the phone call from her tutor, who asked why young Bennington was not at school. What could he answer? He came up with some quick explanations that were not necessarily true. The man murmured something so that the girl would report to him the next day because he had to talk to her. Wishing a good day, he ended the call.  
He jumped up when it reached the jaws of the lock in the front door. The sound of quiet curses rolled across the corridor. He put down the cup with steaming coffee on the white table. He was not sure which caffeine drink he was. He could not sleep all night, thinking intensely where the high school student was. He left the room, stood in a half step as he spotted the slumped girl sitting on the low chest of drawers. He felt a distinct relief when he could see her again.  
He looked at her closely, she did not look well. She stuck her tired look in the pair of soaked sneakers, in which she gazed with such eyes as if she did not want to go. The hair that had been crammed a day before in a tight ponytail, now fell down freely on a slightly pale face. The shadows under her eyelids were a sign of a sleepless night. She rested her hands on his knee, and he saw the shadows on the cheeks. The remnants of her make-up last night gave the impression that her years had come. He looked at her with his gaze, fixed his gaze on her knee-dry trousers. The thin blouse she wore was rubbed in several places, as if she were brushing against something sharp. He could not see if he had any serious injuries, it did not escape his attention that her shoulders were trembling. She shivered all over her body, and the weather outside was not helping her keep her warm.  
— Can you explain where you've been through us? — He called, approaching the silent teenager.  
She looked up at him with the look of her bright irises, which were slightly pale. Then he could see, the lack of any emotion, reminded the girl he had taken from this nasty place, which was the orphanage. The emptiness in her eyes was downright depressing. He hated seeing her like that. Something must have happened, but he was not sure if Julia would tell him about it sometimes when he tried to move one of the uncomfortable topics for her, she closed herself and remained silent as if she were enchanted. He did not blame his curiosity, it was natural that he wanted to know more details of her life, and not just the strains with which she fed him.  
— I had to ventilate — she explained.  
The tone of her voice did not indicate anything that might have aroused his suspicions. He had the impression that she did not care that she walked all night around the city, not even sending his brother a message with a short text so that he would not worry about her. She was calm and it worried him most.  
— All night!? — He almost screamed.  
She slipped off her feet, the sand-stained shoes that had lost their former glory, the mixture of water that dripped on her feet as she walked along the edge of the beach, the white sneakers had soiled.  
— Do not yell at me!  
The girl's frightened voice was his ruin, a note of fear echoing in her voice. He never raised his voice to her, he had no reason to. However, he spent the whole worrying about where he is. He was worried and let himself be carried away by emotion.  
She did not like it when someone carried her voice to her, she felt fear spreading over her body, which was so terrifying to her that despite the change in her life she was still afraid when someone shouted at her warning, or after He was just furious and wanted to unload himself on her.  
— Excuse me — he said gently, "where have you been? - he asked the question again.  
She did not answer, she grabbed the school bag on the light tiles, casually putting her on her shoulder. She walked past him, and he sensed the subtle scent of the ocean, mingling with her slightly faded perfume. He took her step, seeing her enter the living room. She grabbed an abandoned blanket on the back of the couch, wrapping herself tightly with warm material. A tiny smile lit her grim face as she felt the warmth tickling her pleasantly. She nestled into a soft blanket, sitting on one of the armchairs. Spending the night on the beach in a regular T-shirt, it was not a sensible solution she had taken after leaving the school walls the previous afternoon. The nights were still chilly, and the rain clouds hanging over the city made her fear that it would rain. However, this time she got lucky when no rain dropped from the olive clouds. She tilted her head to the side, laying it on her lap, inhaling a pleasant aroma of flowers, hugging her cheek with warm fluff.  
— Why did not you answer the phone? — She looked up at Chester in the aisle.  
He walked past the bright sofa, sitting on its edge, staring at her with a piercing look that did not even bend under her. She leaned forward again, closing her eyes slowly.  
— I was on the beach — she explained calmly, feeling her arms blending with Morpheus' blissfulness — He must have discharged himself," she added even more quietly, farther away into the land of the king of dreams.  
Her brother's last words did not reach her when his voice died in the dark. She was not aware of how she was carried into her bedroom and laid out on a comfortable bed. This night was extremely tiring for her. She still had no idea what to do with the gossip that had spread around the school like wildfire. It began to overwhelm her. There must have been problems when she realized her love for music.

She sat at the kitchen bar, staring blankly at her mug with steaming black tea that always allowed her to calm down. She ran her fingertips over the top of the vessel. The announcer's voice reached her as if in the distance, which commented on the recent exploits of the well-known pop singer. She did not care, however, still absorbed in her thoughts, she tried to devise a plan to get out of what situation she found herself. She was moody, which did not escape her brother's attention, he tried to ask what was happening, but she had not spoken to him for almost two days. She saw that she was frustrated by her silence, but at her request he did not ask for details. She guessed, however, that in the end she would not stand and would demand explanations. And she was dotted, not seeing what to do.  
She sighed quietly, sipping a sip of strong tea, a pleasant aftertaste spread over her body, slightly annoyed by a discussion in the radio station, she grabbed the remote control from the radio, changing the stations.  
— Young, will you tell me what's going on? — Chester stood in the kitchen door, fiercely painted on his face.  
— What is going to happen? The interview bored me — she replied, drinking another drink.  
— You know that I'm not talking about it! — he impatiently.  
— Nothing happens. I have bad days — she murmured, grabbing the orange lying on a wicker basket, turning her in my hands.  
— Which last a few days — he finished loudly.  
He stood in front of her, resting his hands on the edge of the tabletop.  
She expected it, she was sure that it would be the day, but she did not want to tell him the truth, she did not want to worry about her problems. He was the one who brewed beer, now she had to drink it. She got into a relationship with the boy who had betrayed her now. Ever since Adrien showed her this video, she did not say a word to Will. She exchanged occasional greetings without even glancing at him. He felt that he was following her with surprise at her sudden behavior, but she lost confidence in him after the video. The school was already roaring with rumors that he was a young lover of the well-known musician, although no one had any confirmation for that, and the picture that was on the poster was just a cheap photo montage. She could not believe their blindness, how they could not see that the photo was processed in a graphics program. Now, from a popular girl, she quickly lost in the eyes of her colleagues by stupid denunciations. She had enough of this already. Her friends, who knew the truth, helped her deal with it, although they also could not find a solution to this situation. What to do to turn these rumors against April and Wilson. Agreste, who showed her the video, stood in her defense, which completely threw her off balance. Only then she found out from the blonde that I never liked footballers. She appreciated his help, but it still did not solve this conflict at school.  
— I'm going to class — she announced, ignoring her brother's earlier words.  
She left the high stool, heading for the exit.  
— Julia!  
She turned over her shoulder when the exhortation of Elder Bennington reached her. He did not address her often with a full name, he only used it in serious situations and knew that he would not avoid talking to him at that time.  
— What? — she asked dryly.  
— I do not like your tone! — he rebuked her.  
— That's what you called me for — she got angry.  
She grabbed her rucksack, slung it over her shoulder, throwing a black leather jacket over her shoulders. She heard the sound of footsteps right behind her, she knew that Chester was walking right behind her. He hoped to end their conversation before leaving the apartment, but she did not want to afford it.  
— Look, I'm more and more worried about your behavior. Do you think that you will hide it from me for a long time?  
— I'm not stalking you — she said almost in a whisper, putting on her black high heels.  
Suddenly she felt his hand clench on her shoulder. He turned her quite violently towards her, making her bag jump a bit. Dissolved hair was slightly fluttering in the gentle breeze.  
— You can not hide the truth for a long time, in the end it will come out.  
Angry at the behavior of her brother, she broke free of his grip and left the villas, after a brief spread, a rather loud crack of the closed front door, and a quiet curse flowed from the mouth of the singer.  
— Stubborn as a mother — he muttered, returning to his home studio.

— I'm sick of it — she snarled furiously.  
She glanced at Marinette, who was sitting next to her, discussing something with Adrian in her mother tongue, and bending over Emily's phone, who was finishing reading an article.  
— It's been dragging too long! She announced, rising from the bench.  
— What you want to do? — said the boy, putting down a can of Coke.  
— What I should have done a long time ago!  
Leaving her things under the watchful eye of her friends, she quickly moved to the table where the school football team sat. She had to talk to William first. She stood in front of their bench, looking for a brunette with bright green eyes, but she did not see him anywhere.  
She turned around, ready to find him somewhere in the school corridors, stopped in mid-step, when the voice of the captain of these fools reached her.  
— Are you looking for another sponsor?  
She turned on her heel, eyeing the boy, he did not even flinch at the sight, as if it did not impress him.  
— Do you want to talk to my fist Andy? You better keep your girlfriend away from me, because if I catch her she will not survive the next hour — she growled, dangerously approaching the boy — And this — grabbed the edge of his shirt, although she was lower than him and a little thinner, she knew some defense techniques, which her brother showed her a few months ago. She swung it, hitting the boy in the face quite enough — For encouragement! He will not challenge me from the loose ones! — She screamed  
She saw the boy holding on to the still-bleeding base, the quiet laughs of his colleagues in the cafeteria. A funny situation. The muscled boy was able to defeat the teenager.  
— It did not bother you somehow! — He shouted after her.  
Anger overwhelmed her body, it was too much. She turned again to the captain of the footballers, with a stubborn look on her face. She did not intend to cringe with him, she punched him another blow, this time in his right eye.  
— You can only call a whore called April! You do not even know that behind your back, he sleeps with your best friend.  
No longer paying attention to the next biting remarks of the boy, she ran out of the dining room, in search of his girlfriend and his former friend. She was furious that little said, she was full of fury. Still, the whispers of her colleagues about her alleged relationship with the singer were frustrating her more and more. She wished she had just gotten up today to end this, not when she saw the recording. Even then, she should set it up and not wait. However, she was too terrified then to think about it. She finally gathered the courage to say no.  
Traveling through narrow corridors, squeezing through groups of students who, as soon as they saw her, began to whisper quietly to each other, tried to find the two traitors. She passed by slightly surprised Selena, who was sitting on her boyfriend's lap, quietly, what they were talking about. She tried to find out what had happened, but she ignored her. She ran out into the yard, only then a familiar blonde threw herself in her eyes, which as if she had never discussed anything with her friends.  
— Crystal! — she growled furiously, her face turned red with anger - We have to talk!  
She grabbed the unsuspecting girl by the shoulder, pulling her toward some secluded place so that no one would see them. She did not pay attention to the curses she was directing her or to try to get out of her strong grip. She loosened the clamp on her shoulder only when they were standing next to the garbage container, from which there was a rather unpleasant musty smell.  
— What do you want Bennington? — she murmured, rubbing the pulsing place.  
— I will make it clear! — boomed, approaching her at a dangerous distance — You have an hour to cover up all the rumors that you and Will talk about me. I was patient, but it's a bit too much!  
— You're afraid to admit the truth — she said with a mocking smirk.  
— What are you talking about? — she was surprised.  
The blonde laughed, as if it were so obvious, but she frowned, for a moment she knocked her off balance.  
— Do not be ridiculous, Bennington — she said with a poisonous smile — At school, they know that you're sleeping with that Shinoda for the money, or else you'd end up on the street. He pays you for sex. The wife got bored and found a younger lover. He is not surprised by his ex-husband that she threw him when she found out that he was cheating on her with high school students.  
She could not stand it! It was the top of the lies she could come up with. She did not think what she was doing, even the fact that she was in school and everyone could see them here. It did not matter to her. She should not react to her stupid taunts, but she could not bear the thought that she was not only challenged by prostitutes, but she went to accuse her friend. Full of rage, she hit her with all her might on the nose, which after a while flowed with scarlet liquid. The blonde hissed in pain, but she did not remain indebted to her, throwing her at her in the face of her long painted nails. She stifled the pain that spread across her face as she ran her pointed tips over her cheeks, leaving behind a few deep scars that flushed terribly, and she felt a metallic taste in her mouth after a while. In retaliation, she kicked her with all her strength in the stomach, which rejected the blonde for several feet. She rose quickly from the ground, running up to her, grabbing her hair. She tried to get out of her grasp, but it was a bit difficult. They were struggling, they were not able to say which kicked their opponent. April unscrupulously dug her white nails into her skin, which had now lost its glow, and the red streaks of blood from her classmate were streaming on them. She did not know how long they were struggling on this cold asphalt.  
— Did you leave the rest? — Someone shouted, dragging her from the beaten blonde.  
She tried to break free, but the person who held her was much stronger, her rival was also held by a boyfriend. She looked from the corner of her eye to which the person was clenching her hands on her waist, her characteristic blond hair, and green, almost catlike eyes were too familiar to her. Adrien did not even strain, block her in his grip.  
— Adrien, let me go! — she shouted at the boy full of frustration.  
— No! Marinette went to help. Are you crazy? Yes, you wanted to settle this — he raised his voice slightly — Julia is not a solution!  
— School Casanova spoke — she whispered, insulting as she yielded.  
She saw the words hurt the boy. He was ashamed of what he was doing, he tried to cover it up, but it is not easy to wash the mask of an old podrywaczy. He sighed quietly, tightening his hands tightly on her waist.  
— I'm sorry — came the silent voice of an eighteen-year-old boy.  
— No worries. I deserved it — he said calmly.  
She looked up at the moment when the headmistress of the educational institution and the educators of their class got through the small community of pupils. The woman's expression was not at all satisfactory, and she was horrified to find that she was not only having a long conversation, but also a punishment.  
— To my office! She said only, giving the two teenagers a stern voice.

— Miss Bennington, I did not expect this for you. I thought you had reached my earlier admonition — the woman sat down restlessly at her desk, then returning from the office of her secretary, whom she ordered to call April Crystal's parents and brother Julia Bennington.  
— Director, it's not like that — she began to defend herself, lifting her chair.  
— Sit down, we'll talk when your parents arrive!  
Julia froze at her last words, as their guardians called! She did not trust her words. Recently, it was possible without informing about the whole event of their families. She was splashed if her brother appeared here. She swallowed hard, realizing how unfavorable it was. She saw surreptitiously, like a blonde smirk appears on her lips, as if she could read what flutters in her mind. She did not pay attention to her wounded face or her hands, she was still thinking panicked at what she led. Only a few days ago, she assured Chester that nothing was happening, she would pick up the phone from her sister's school, that she had a fight with one of the students.  
The waiting time lengthened her mercilessly, she sat on her hand, on which ran a trickle of red liquid from the wounds on her face. An older educator wanted to send her to the nurse, but she found out that the office was empty, gave them only tissues that would wash off the unpleasant blood.  
After a long minute, the face of a young secretary appeared in the office door, announcing the arrival of April's parents and Julia's brother. Only now did she feel her nervousness. She did not know how he would get what she did. Recently, he was not satisfied with her prolonged silence, unconsciously knew that she would have to talk to him, but not in such circumstances. The wooden wing opened again and a tall woman with blond blond hair stood there, wearing an elegant suit and matching shoes. She walked with a confident step, a taller man with a muscular build on her side, had the impression for a moment that he was once a boxer, now a retired sportsman, dealing with his computer company. His brown hair was brushed back. The black suit looked on his powerful chest.  
Chester came in, clearly impatient and upset. He approached her, giving her a look, his dark irises.  
— Did you do something with her again? — He asked.  
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw April staring at the vocalist as stupid. She rubbed her eyes in surprise, wanting to make sure she could see well. At last she finally spoke, able to say even words, but it was her next mockery.  
— This is your father? — She laughed sneering.  
— Shut up the zdziro — she muttered in a rather unpleasant reply.  
— Silence! — Older teacher thundered, silencing teenagers — Please, sit down — she asked the guests.  
April's parents took their place next to their firstborn, the musician did not accept the invitation, standing behind his sister, looking expectantly at the headmistress, who had been silent for a long moment. He could not bear this poignant silence, he said nervously:  
— Can you explain to me what Julia did?  
The woman cleared her throat and then said:  
— Your sister got into a fight with April Crystal here — she announced, pointing to the astonished blonde who could not stay silent for a long time.  
— You are his sister — she said to her rival, clearly happy.  
— None of your business! — Julia snapped through her clenched teeth.  
She was more and more eager to add her even more. She was sure that she found another reason to torment her, did not hesitate to think that it would be a juicy subject to gossip about the sister of a well-known vocalist  
"Actually, where did it start," Tina Crystal said for the first time.  
— Do you praise?  
The woman turned her scolding eyes towards the suddenly silent teenagers. Julia knew that now she could no longer hide the truth and so the teachers probably know about the last case and the poster that was to sneer at young Beninngton. Before she could say anything, however, the blonde took the floor.  
— I did not do anything — she began to defend herself — She is an abnormal one — she added, turning her dark eyes toward her rial — She rushed at me for unknown reasons!  
Julia struggled calmly, clenched her hands into fists, which did not escape her brother's mind. He put his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of calm, he knew well her impetuous character and how she reacted when someone dares insult her. He did not blame her until he knew the whole truth, something had to happen that was what made her so angry.  
— You know what you did — she hissed almost in a whisper, but the silence that prevailed in the office made it possible to clearly hear the words of the high school student.  
— I wonder what? — she murmured indifferently.  
She had the impression that this girl was either playing such an innocent or pretending to the parents of an angel who did nothing to contribute. She could not let it get away with it. She brushed off her brother's hand, grabbed the bag, which suddenly came to her. She took out a crumpled piece of paper. She straightened her, throwing her over her face.  
— I see that you have been deprived of sight — she cried.  
Anger filled her frail body again. At first glance, she seemed to be so innocent, but appearances sometimes confuse. The blonde brushed the page of herself, under the influence of the gentle breeze that came through the half-open window, she landed on a dark desk. An inscription made of large letters caught Chester's eye.

Young lover Shinoda

He almost gasped with air when he saw the photo underneath, or rather a change. He was supposed to show his sister and best friend in quite an ambiguous situation. He understood only now why his sister had been so uncomfortable and absent for the last few days. He could only guess what prevailed at school when the students found out. Gossip could destroy a man, especially the most hypocritical ones. He followed his sister, who stood by the window, her back to them. It did not bother her that she was in the headmistress's office, staring blindly at the school parking lot.  
— Do not blame me for not being able to admit the truth — said the daughter of the Crystal lady abruptly — You sold yourself, you're a whore, you're a bitch!"  
—Miss Crystal, vocabulary! — the educator thundered.  
— But it's true! — the girl was walking in, not looking at the rage on the face of senior Bennington — She should be on the street, not at school!  
— Do not do anything stupid Chester — Julia said quietly, but she spoke loud enough for her words to reach her brother.  
— You let my sister insult this girl — he shouted furiously, hitting his hand against the dark macho of the desk. — That's ridiculous!   
— Please calm down — she rebuked him - Julio, will you tell me what happened? She asked, turning to teasing teenagers.  
— What should I say, you will again punish me with punishment, I will have to work it out, and I will bake it again as before Adrienowi - she said calmly, not even turning back — I called a fight, because I was fed up with the fact that they call me a whore, you — She wanted to hear? She turned unexpectedly toward them.  
Single tears ran down her cheeks, the slumbering anger suddenly flared away by the touch of a magic wand. Rage has replaced sadness and bitterness. She did not want to defend herself anymore, because she did not see such a need anymore. She gave up this attempt. Unknowingly she approached her brother, stopped beside him, and humbly turned to the headmistress.  
— Tell me how much you suspend me and let me go — she muttered softly.  
— Mr. Agreste claimed you were a provocative fighter — she explained, remembering the last visit of a young high school student in her office.  
— Yes, but I did mention that it violated my personal space, and I did not want it. In total, I can thank you, because thanks to him I learned that my ex-friend betrayed my secret — she said.  
— But that's the truth — said April, pleased.  
She gave her a disgusted look, sighed quietly, sinking into the chair. She put her elbow on the backrest, dropping her head in the palm of her hand.  
— I already have enough! — she added resignedly.  
She did not bother to exchange an exchange between the headmistress and her furious brother. Elder Bennington argued with young Crystal's parents who followed in the footsteps of their daughter and began to defend her. She was sitting on this stool, looking blindly at the window with her dead eyes.  
She humbly accepted the punishment imposed by the woman, she was somewhat satisfied that she had not been suspended in student rights, which may have looked bad in college. Leaving the office, he stayed close to his brother, who still complained about the lack of goodness on the part of the parents of this little stranger, as he described it. They passed through the corridor, which, fortunately, was empty, thanked fate that there was a lesson and no one knew that one of the idols of some teenagers appeared at school. She could only guess that they had heard that the girls' guardians had been called to school.  
She felt that tomorrow would be very difficult.


	36. TOM 1— REBEL : 35 —  TELL ME YOU TRUST ME, FREND?

The usual discussion turned into a quarrel when the Benningtin siblings left the walls of the California high school. The persistent insistence of a man who tried to convince his sister to visit a hospital, something that came to naught when her self-consciousness came to fruition. She pleaded with him so that he would not let her down, because nothing serious happened to her, she did not even feel nauseated, after a brief meeting with the asphalt, when her opponent pushed her with all her strength, causing her to fall. Resigned musician took her to the car, still thinking that he should look at her wounds or the broken head of the doctor. However, Julia was too stubborn.  
In silence, they reached the apartment, she did not have the courage to speak all the way to her brother. She did not even know how to start this topic. What was she supposed to say to him? The apology was useless, because she was not really sorry for the whole situation. April has deserved it for a long time. Yes, she could solve it without using her fists, but everyone would lose their patience if he was insulted in front of the entire school for less than two weeks. She wanted to end it, but she knew that a quiet conversation with this girl would not make all the unflattering words abruptly stop at her. She looked dimly at the buildings passed along the way and the residents or tourists strolling in the streets of the metropolis who had their own problems on their heads.  
— You remind me of myself — Chester said suddenly, breaking the silence between them.  
She raised her startled gaze, noticing his glimpse, then focused again on the road as the lights turned bright green. He turned onto the next intersection, entering the streets of the rich houses. Big palms grew on both sides of the road, shielding the neighbors walking around them in the sky above. Sometimes during her wanderings around the estate, she could not help noticing more or less well-known television stars, or world-wide entertainment music, and there were also rising Hollywood stars here. Everyone said she was lucky to live in the company of celebrities, for her it did not matter.  
— What do you mean? — she asked.  
He parked in the driveway, which was lined with dark tiles. She grabbed the bag strap, pulling it to her when she was casually thrown in the back seat. She closed the car door with a small click as Chester appeared next to her.  
— I have a fight at school too — he said.  
— Are you kidding? — she asked in disbelief.  
The man only laughed softly, letting it pass in front of the wooden wing of the house, a cool breeze curling their faces as they entered the hallway bathed in the morning sun.  
— What did you expect? I was not an angel — he replied.  
He dropped the bunch of keys on the locker, rolled on the chest of drawers, almost falling down. He just smiled, shrugging gently. She sat on the edge of a low cabinet, pulling off her dark heels.  
— I know you were not holy, but you did not say anything about it — she muttered quietly.  
She rejected a pair of comfortable heels in the corner, even though they did not look like shoes in which one could walk freely all day without worrying that the evening feeling of wearing long heels, she loved to wear them. She murmured unpleasantly when she felt the blood, again running down her wounded face. She completely forgot that she still had no wounds. She muttered unpleasantly when she felt the metallic tang of blood. Scratches or bruises let us know. An earlier shock caused her not to feel the pain passing through her body.  
She bent down to get a handkerchief inside the bag, but she regretted it when she felt a painful sting between her eyes, the pain almost paralyzing her. Uneasily she touched her nose when she felt a metallic crimson liquid running down her lips. She cursed quietly, trying to get up, only then Chester saw what was happening to her. An unpleasant substance dripped from his nose, slowly flowing over the slightly parted lips of the teenager. They still had a broken nose. He sighed quietly, coming up to her, helping himself up from the low cabinet. He ordered her to gently tilt her head back, grabbed her by the arm, leading her into the living room, taking care that she did not fall into something on the way, or land on the ground.  
— You settled yourself — he said with a sigh, crossing the threshold of the living room.  
She closed her eyes, completely trusting the older musician. She applied bright material to the bleeding place. The handkerchief quickly took on the color of the mature wine. However, she could not see it. She sat down slowly on the couch with the help of her brother, who immediately ordered her to lie down.  
— What happened to her?  
She knew that voice too well to confuse it with someone else. She was surprised by his presence, yes, she heard that Bennington was working on a song for the last week, but she did not want to mention anything about her. She could only guess that Mike would eventually help him. He again took up production of their next album, which completely did not surprise her.  
She felt the mattress beside her slightly bending, and she sensed someone's presence, but she could not say who was sitting next to her.  
— She beat herself — Chester said, soaking up the swab with liquid.  
She hissed softly in pain as she felt the damp cloth against her bloodied cheeks, opened her eyelids to see her brother sitting next to her, who gently washed some of the dried blood from her bruised face.  
— I know it hurts, but you have to endure — he said gently, seeing her sharp eyes.  
— How did it get into a fight again? — Mike said.  
She saw him stand behind a friend, staring at her worriedly. He knew her impulsive temperament and had to admit that sometimes it was difficult to control his somewhat explosive character, caused by enormous emotions or layers of frustration or rage, however, such events were really rare and he could count them on the squares of one hand, how many times he was getting into so sharp conflicts. She was just like Chester, she did not let herself be offended, they were even ready for a duel, they were very similar to each other in this sense.  
— Normally — the high school girl murmured in a muffled voice as the vocalist gently slid tampons into her nose, which were supposed to absorb the excess of the hideous substance — From word to word, went to blows — she said.  
She winced slightly when she felt the unpleasant stuff that did not let her breathe through the nasal bridge. She stood on her elbows, staring slightly at her disgusted at her brother.  
— I really have to wear it — She pointed to two bundles.  
— You want to look like a ghost? Do not discuss! I'll bring you a swollen eye for a moment.  
Before she could stop him, he disappeared into the kitchen. She only heard the sounds of the lockers being opened or closed. She gave a quiet sigh as Shinoda sat on the edge of the couch. There was a moment of silence, but it was not unpleasant in any way. With a heavy heart, she waited for his next question. She could only guess that she was curious about the causes of the recent incident, but whether she was ready to tell him everything. To some extent he was unconsciously involved, he was not sure what to do. She bit her drained cheek from the inside, staring into his dark gaze.  
— What went through?  
She moaned inwardly, despite the fact that she was expecting this question, she hoped she would miss her topic, but unfortunately she was wrong. Mike will always find a way to get the truth out of her. At the moment, however, she did not want him to know about the rumors that had spread throughout her school. She has not dealt with them so far, and besides, it would not be necessary to pester him with such irrelevancies.  
— School matters — she hastened with an explanation.  
She tried to say it with such a voice, as if she wanted to convince herself that it was indeed a law, which was really absurd. She did not want to admit to her that they'd recognized her at school as a girl who broke up his marriages, which is the biggest mockery they could ever come up with.  
— They spread the gossip about her after school — she heard the answer from his lips.  
She followed him with his eyes as he stepped into the kitchen entrance, holding in his hand a transparent film filled with frozen granules of water. He sat on the edge of the bright couch, leaning over her. Carefully he put the pouch on his reddened and slightly swollen eyelid, which remained on the girl's red nail trail. She shuddered as she felt the unpleasant shiver running down her face, made a small twist when the dull pain made her feel that a powerful atom bomb was blowing in her mind. She clenched her lips tightly, trying to ignore this unpleasant feeling.  
— Not the first and not the last — she murmured in a scowling voice.  
— Are you going to let it happen? Young are not just rumors that you dress badly, just...  
Her brother's last words moved her slightly, she raised up sharply, slightly nervous, she regretted it immediately when the unpleasant pain spread over her head. Not taken over by this, she turned to the man.  
— According to you, what should I do? Take care of me, I've broken my marriage, I've slept a little, with a guy I met only a few months ago, and they have been pulling our relationship for two years — she said agitated, forgetting Michael's presence in the room — You'll tell me how to feel, with the mark of a young mistress Shinoda... — suddenly there was a deep silence in the room, when something stopped her from further monologue.  
Full of anxiety, she turned to Michael, realizing that she had betrayed the contents of these rumors aloud to the person she did not want her to know the reason for her conflict in the school corridors.  
He stared at her, stupefied. A shadow of anger ran through his face, she understood that he was not satisfied with the latest news. However, she did not have to unscrew it, she could lie or hide the truth from him, but he would know the reasons for her last quarrel. Probably he would try to get some information from a friend.  
— I'm sorry — she mumbled softly, turning her eyes away from him.  
There was a dull silence, in which no one had the courage to speak, dropped her head, and a bag of frozen water fell on her bandaged hands, from which liquid crimson blood had earlier, the sharp nails of her rivals gave notice of themselves, creating a few furrows on her body. She dumped Crystal in her mind for the state she had led her to. She was not paying her herself, but her sharp tips quite hurt her. She would never have thought that such a tacky cosmetic product could cause so much suffering.  
She watched the bundle of ice, disappear from her hand, everything that followed happened, it happened like in slow motion. She could see Michael's hand that forced her to lie down again on the couch's back, the singer sitting on the edge of the couch, again putting a wrap to her swollen eye.  
— Since when it lasts? — he only asked, moving so that she could see him freely.  
She sighed heavily, in his voice she did not feel any regret or rage that she had to be directly directed at her person, he kept calm and self-control that characterized him. Did she feel much better knowing that he would not hurt her because of the lies about their "relationship" that was building up in the walls of a California high school? She could say that although she felt a kind of tension, she sincerely hoped that she would not be able to shake her off.  
— For two weeks — she answered truthfully — I'm sorry, I did not want to be found out about it — she added, contrite.  
— Not Julia.  
She froze at his serious tone, anxious, glanced up at him, seeing her frightened face, gently took her hand, clenching her long fingers on her wrist, which calmed her slightly. She did not allow, however, to show how frightened she was. She did not like to show her signs of weakness so much that she felt really bad when someone saw her in a bad mood in extreme cases, crying which was really uncommon in her. She believed that tears are one of the reasons for our fall and if we let them swim on our cheeks, we will show in, that it is easy to destroy us, and she was afraid of it the most. She played a strong person, with a mask as she defined a "cold bitch", not to let them kick her mentally. She could not let it happen again. Not when her life stabilized somewhat.  
— I do not want you to blame and repent for something that you did not really influence — the warm voice of the music, he pulled her out of his distractions — We both know what unites us. We know the truth that they will never know. High school for a difficult time, but there is always a way out of something, even from such a situation — she did not fully understand what she meant.  
She frowned in puzzlement, which did not escape Michael's attention, to which the corner of the mouth gently rose upward.  
— Do you want to destroy these rumors without revealing our secret?  
— Of course — she answered rather uncertainly, still reflecting on his words.  
— Do you like to show creativity right? Do something that will interest them more than the romance of a rock star. I know your skills, so I'm counting on you thinking something quickly.  
His last words made her think. He was right. Recently, she paid too much attention to stop talking about her, for a moment she did not think that she could do something else. She already had such a situation, she used her skills by putting Crystal in a joke. Why did she notice it now? She spat in her face that she allowed herself to show weakness. She had so many aces up her sleeve that certainly the students were interested in something else, forgetting about April's last action with a little help from Will Wilson.  
Forgetting about ice compress resting on her eye, she jumped up sharply, and the coolness of her pouch fell on her legs. She hugged him tightly, gladly painted on her face, and in her mind a plan of revenge was born, which was to plunge her ex-friend as well as the queens of the school's elite.  
— I adore you — she whispered softly in his ear.  
She stood up on the slightly shaky legs of the mattress, but immediately regretted it when she spun in her head and she lost ground under her feet. She gripped her temples, trying to ignore the pulsing pain.  
— Young lie down! She heard her brother's muffled voice behind the mist.  
She reluctantly obeyed his advice as she staggered dangerously backwards. She sat on the edge of the soft cushions, still holding her aching head, felt the warmth of her brother's hand, which forced her to lie down again.  
In the evening she felt much better, the dizziness was not as annoying as in the late afternoon, but the swelling under the eye despite the cold compresses still did not soften, frozen ice cubes only soothed the burning sensation around the eyelids, it did not satisfy her at all. From the moment of the last conversation with Mike in her mind a plan was born to destroy the rumors, to cause unpleasantness to the two conspirators, so that it would not be at the expense of third parties, and at the same time her. Maybe she did not care about popularity at school, but she did not want her accused of something she did not contribute until the end of the year. Focusing on the graphics program, where she created something that was supposed to compromise her former friend, she had a slightly difficult case, because the eye covered by the eye and a small space for movement with her hand gave a little concert. She used the previously acquired information about the early knowledge of the two, cleverly wanted to use it. She smiled almost mockingly as she finished her work.  
— Not bad sister — said Chester.  
She looked up, noticing him. He leaned against the couch, eyeing the photo on the screen. Mike's face appeared above his shoulder, and he looked at her with satisfaction. He remembered the last action that took place between the two hated high school girls. The girl's envy can sometimes be cruel, if quite strong characters collide with each other. She frowned in puzzlement, which did not escape Michael's attention, to which the corner of the mouth gently rose upward.  
— They brought me to it myself— she said, unimpressed, again focusing on the file she was working on.  
She wrote it down and the icon of the created photo appeared on the start screen. She went into her profile on MySpace to put a converted photograph there. The short moment that passed after posting, the room was filled with the sound of incoming notifications, which the teenager did not read at first.  
— Now it's going to happen — she laughed softly.

She adjusted herself in the comfortable dark chair, bent over the initial draft of the new drawing, tapped a pencil with her chin, wondering if she could change anything. Was there anything that did not satisfy her in some way or spoil the concept of her image? She thought for a moment, did not pay attention to the time elapsing behind the huge windows of the apartment. Junka sleepily slept on her bed for hours, snoring every now and then. At least she was having fun. Suddenly, the sound of a lively melody wrenched her from lethargy. She jumped in fear, letting the pencil out from between her fingers, a trail of gray granite dirty a bit of painting started. A quiet curse echoed through the walls of her bedroom. She snarled furiously, trying to find the lost phone, at the same time to wash away the stain from the painted card, but her efforts went to waste, when she worsened, more than she helped herself. Frustrated, she crumpled the paper, throwing her into the corner, only then she noticed the still ringing telephone.  
She glanced at the displays to find out who bothered her. A photo of her best friend explained everything.  
— Selena, I will kill you! — she said at the beginning, when she put the phone to her ear.  
— But what did she do? — Asked the teenager, trying to pretend to be scared, but the amusement she could feel in her voice made her feel.  
— I had to throw away the sketch I just started — she blurted out.  
She turned to look at the room lit by the cold violet light, suspended lights, added an amazing mood. She loved to sit here in the evenings with a good book in her hand or new episodes of the series. It was her time to relax after a mealful day. She hugged her legs, putting her on the leather texture of the piece of furniture, wrapping her arms around her, staring at one of the paintings hung on the wall.  
— Do not complain — she said enthusiastically.  
— What did you want? — she asked bluntly, leaning on a soft chair.  
— We're going to the club!  
— No — she moaned.  
She did not have much time to spend time in the club. However, she knew Selene too well to think he would let it go so easily. She loved to do everything to finally get her friends to dance in some fashionable club or youth spot, as she claimed, they are too young to waste time worrying. She had to admit her reasons, thanks to her acquaintance with her, she began to draw life from her handfuls. Maybe her earlier years of rebellion were full of escapes from the orphanage to some meetings on the outskirts of the city, but now she could play without knowing that someone would be pursuing her and told her to come back to the "home", which she considered disdain because she did not take that place this method. Only now could she say that she had someone to return to. She did not have to worry about someone sending her to the police, she could freely go to the club and just have some fun. Her life was amazingly well, sometimes she thought it was too beautiful to be her real life. However, she did not intend to think about it, she lived the moment as many people said.  
— Yes — she scolded her — Collect this beautiful ass and we're going to play. Alex released her first novel, you have to fail it!  
— And she did not tell me anything about it! — she indignated, taking from the chair.  
However, she did not feel sorry for friends, why she had to have. She probably said to let her know about it at the earliest opportunity. It totally encouraged her to spend this evening in the company of friends. Everyone hoped that their colleagues would succeed in something that interested them, they did not seek the last one, and if their friend had taken such a small step in the writer's future career, she had to congratulate her.  
— I just found out. We have to fail it! — she was glad.  
— Okay, give me twenty minutes.  
She rejected the call, tossing the phone carelessly on the dark desk, rushing to the wardrobe, searching the hangers in search of an interesting outfit. A dress with a galactic motif she had recently bought in the Marinette shop had thrown her eyes. She grabbed her hands and fitted black slippers, ran out of the room to get ready.  
She left the bathroom quickly, did not look closely to see if there was anyone in the corridor, until she fell into familiar arms with quite a strong momentum. She looked up, meeting the amused look of brown irises.  
— And my sister where are you going? — he asked, helping her to straighten up.  
— I'm going to the club with the girls — she said cheerfully — We must fail Alex — she passed him, after a while she returned to the corridor, holding a clutch bag in her hands and her phone, which she slipped into an open purse.  
— Have fun, just do not come back on all fours.  
She laughed at his words, shouting back that she would try to come back with her own legs. She left the apartment, heading for the meeting place. The long minutes she spent on a vigorous walk, she quickly slipped away, and she stood at their favorite bench, where they often sat at school. In the distance she saw laughing girls who were waving to her. She approached them, there were all Selena dressed in her favorite red dress, on which she put on a simple jacket. Alex chose a rather loose style and put on comfortable trousers with a cream-colored blouse matching it, and she usually wore sneakers on her feet. Emily chose a suit consisting of shorts and a matching top, the Marinette dress surprised her the most. The girl was wearing a black dress that was girded at the waist with a green cat paw at the end. She looked great in black.  
Sitting in a club that was well known to her. From the time when friends and brother made her fun here, she often came here with friends, we can say that they were regular guests of the club "Dance of Darkness", a rather original idea for naming a place. Sip another drink that evening, she talked to Marinette about something. They set today for a girl's evening, without the presence of the male part of their group. She dared to think that they did not even know that their girls and friends were playing on the best dance floor, not sitting on a Friday night at home, as they said in the last lesson when asked about plans for the evening. She laughed softly at the pomegranate joke when a waiter stood at their table with a new portion of colorful drinks. She gave a smile to the slightly conquered French girl, which did not escape her attention, but the girl did not seem to notice it, absorbed with a baleful tale as at the last meeting with Adrian threw the boy into the pool, as if it was a very fascinating story.  
— I'll tell you until Selena is gone — she said, her voice suddenly low.  
She focused on her best friend, waiting for another stream of words she said.  
Adrien asked recently if he wants to go out on a date with him.  
She coughed when the drink uncomfortably rolled over her throat, she touched the decorated glass, trying to normalize her breath after the latest news from Marinette, who gave her a surprised look, but the tinge of amusement was hidden in the corners of her eyes.  
— What did you say? — she managed with difficulty.  
The blue-haired girl was confused for a moment as if to tell her story. She stared at the colors of the drink she held.  
— Well... — she had the impression that she was extending her reply.  
— You agreed? — she did not trust.  
— Yes — a delicate blush appeared on her cheeks.  
Embarrassed, she looked away, clenching her fingers even more. Everyone knew of the old conquests of Agreste and the relationship of her acquaintance to him, but the last weeks confirmed her belief that something strange began to happen between them, as if they had forgotten their misunderstandings and began to turn to each other with respect. What was really surprising, Marinette admitted that she had forgiven him for the last years.  
— You know, I know how everyone thinks about it, but everyone deserves a second chance of the law?  
— Of course, no one will forbid you. It's about your happiness. If you feel like you want to meet him, go ahead and do it. I will not tell you that you are going to throw him in hell through our old conflicts — they laughed softly.  
It's true that for some time her relationship with Adrień has improved significantly, she did not bother him at the earliest opportunity, he did not even dare to say a bad word to her. Although they did not share their common conflict, they had a long way to trust each other. Maybe thanks to Marinette, he'll give this boy a chance. She just wanted to see the real change, unfeigned.  
— In that case, we drink your health — she just grabbed a colorful cocktail with an umbrella.  
Moments later you could hear tapping glasses for yourself and the laughter of two high school girls. They did not even get drunk even when Selena and Alex sat down at their table, spinning on the dance floor among other people dancing on the dance floor.  
— Drinking without us? — Brunette scolded them, grabbing a free drink from the tray, sit on the soft sofas of the lodge.  
— How dare we be — said Julia.  
They drank colorful drinks, they were not even aware of how many of them they were, they did not even want to count. They were synonymous with good fun, served by the handsome waiter glasses filled with favorite drinks, colored with colorful umbrellas and pieces of fruit. When once again a young boy appeared with them, Selena puzzled him and dragged him to their box, declaring that from now on he was their private bodyguard, which the other girls received loud drunken laughter, and the student who made money in the club for tuition, said that from now on they will be his favorite clients. How they managed to find out, the young man's name was Ian. They gave him a chat, which was brutally interrupted by the owner of the premises, who had the opportunity to get to know them. He scolded his employee, then he took a proud step to his office, and that was all they had to do with lovely company.  
They left the club when the clocks hit three o'clock in the morning, almost champagne gave them fun, so they went to a nearby 24-hour shop, buying two more bottles of red wine. The discussion turned into a long conversation when they were thinking about where to spend the next night. Reluctantly, they agreed that they would go to Bennington's apartment, which she accepted with a groan, feeling that this evening would be even more interesting. The earlier route that she could cover in only half an hour, was much longer, because alcohol washed their rational thinking, not once met the meeting with the pole, street, not a single tumor. Amused in the end, they stood in the driveway of the apartment of their friend who began to have beliefs that her house looks completely different, lamenting, she took a bunch of keys from inside the bag. With little difficulty she finally opened the front door, and a group of girls pushing through her ran into the dark room.  
— Are you sure if we hit it well? — Julia asked stupidly, staring in amazement at the metal hoop she held, dangling from the apartment.  
— I think it's good — Marinette said in a stupid voice, leaning against a nearby wall. — The alarm has not turned on, so we're in the right place — she added.  
As the only one she was still able to recognize the surroundings, which could not be said about Alex, who completely did not know something was happening around her. She restrained Selena's arm, whose mouth still showed a stupid smirk.  
— I still do not have that conviction — she said in a broken voice.  
Absorbed in their little discussion, they did not notice the musician standing in the entrance, who with a gentle smile watched the scene in front of his eyes, curious about its further development. He leaned against the frame imitating the entrance to the living room, looking drepopically at his sister who denied that she was living in this apartment. She had never seen her in such a state. Of course, she usually drank at parties, but she was sensible enough to know when to say no to alcohol, today she exaggerated. He watched her as she started walking towards him, unfortunately mistaking the sides, bumping into the nearby wall. The room was torn by a loud curse and a moan of a girl who fell on bright tiles under impact.  
— Who put the wall here — she growled, rubbing her forehead.  
He could barely suppress himself with a loud laugh when he saw such a comic scene.  
— Builders — he said in a low voice.  
The teenager jumped to her feet, which was surprising that she was standing upright, considering her current condition. Panicked, she looked around, guided by his voice when she met him with a look, squeaked at her, hiding behind Marinette's shoulder.  
— Mari, I'm hallucinating — she said weakly.  
— Why? — a friend asked, but she was interested.  
— Because I see this vocalist Linkin Park in front of me — she said it in such a tone as if she were a scared child who is afraid of a storm.  
Chester could not stand it, he laughed, making the embarrassed teenager hide behind the French shoulder.  
— And he is laughing at me — she moaned.  
— Do not dramatize, let's get a drink! — she said eagerly.  
She took the next step, but she regretted it by bumping into a nearby cupboard. It fell with a loud thud to the floor, a quiet whisper escaping her lips. However, she decided, after a while, that the floor was comfortable enough and fell into a nap.  
— We're going to go to sleep — Chester said firmly, approaching his sister.  
— But…  
— Tomorrow, I will tell you what you are doing at the home of the vocalist Linkin Park — he added, trying not to explode once again with merry laughter.  
Reluctantly, the teenager gave up and let herself be led into her bedroom before she fell asleep, she had time to ask what would happen to her friends, but she did not receive an answer when Morpheus took her in his arms.


	37. TOM 1— REBEL : 36 —  IT'S TIME TO BILL THE PAST

She sat on the kitchen counter, staring at the screen of her phone. She ran her finger over the toughened glass, catching what newer articles in the local press. Nothing caught her attention. The same steak had no unnecessary information or political references which completely did not interest her. Slightly disgusted, she moved to one of the web portals where she was logged in. Looking through the entries, nothing aroused her curiosity.  
— Does it really have to be boring even on the Internet — it irritated itself by disabling applications.  
She could hear the din of talks and individual laughter from the living room. Despite the presence of the band, she settled herself in the kitchen. She did not want to disturb them when they were discussing issues related to the latest album, ensuring that she did not want to know any details until the day of the premiere. She hid in a bright room, recognizing that she would do some goodies. They did not try to stop her because they knew well how she cared about their music and the lack of premature demos. They respected her opinion, because if she thought that it made waiting for an album with more excitement. She drew on the subtle aroma of golden pastries that had been in the oven for ten minutes. Discouraged to continue to explore the depths of websites, she turned on the music program. The short search for her song list was not in vain when she came across songs she wrote in the beginning of summer, when she longed for the old sounds of good rock. Wind Scorpions' first boredom of the Scorpions team filled the room. Boring quietly under her breath, she put the phone down on a bright table, staring at the wall hung on the wall, showing the unimpressive view of the setting sun over the mountain top, honestly preferring to stare at the disappearing sun above the horizon, feeling the golden sand of the Californian beach under her feet.  
The quiet sound of footsteps snapped her out of her reverie. She jerked her head up, noticing in the aisle the familiar figure of one of the musicians. She tried to hide the smile that filled her mouth as she stared into his familiar dark stare. She followed every step of his every step, as he moved slowly toward her, feeling that he could not take her eyes off her glittering eyes in the afternoon sun. She was not aware when she closed her hands on the edge of the counter, as if afraid she would fall under the influence of such intense eyesight. The corner of her mouth twitched even more when he faced her. The words were unnecessary at the moment. The pleasant atmosphere that rose between them was interrupted only by the voice of Klaus Meine singing one of his most famous numbers.  
She could see out of the corner of her eye as she rested her hands slightly close to her hips, she looked in her eyes, raised her head slowly so that she could have a chance to sink in the glare of those eyes she loved so much.  
— What are you looking for here? — She asked in a muffled voice, resting her hands on his shoulders.  
— It seems to me, I found what I was looking for, or rather it — he replied in a deep voice, stunned.  
She had the impression that her breath would trap her larynx as she absent-mindedly stared at him. She felt her chin delicately take her fingers with her fingertips across her slightly chilled cheek. She could not tell why she had begun to approach his every gesture so emotionally, whether she felt that burning sensation in her chest whenever she was deprived of her tenderness, almost tearing her heart when she missed every moment of her life. However, she fell into the extreme when it came to them, she wished it would end quickly. She had no idea what was the reason for such extreme feelings, whether it was a fear that would not let her be attached, who wanted to protect her from disappointment caused by another failed relationship, or a sense of attachment, which became more and more addicted to her every day. Did she fall into joy at any moment as soon as she managed to think about him, a shadow of joy appeared on her lips, which she wanted to hide so much from others that they would not know that a much stronger feeling in the heart of young music smoldered? She felt something completely different than in her previous relationships an unintelligible kind of emotion, it was such a captivating and at the same time characteristic odor she wanted to feel with powerful force every day.  
Love can have different faces, can carry on angel wings almost to the sky, other times make painful contact with sharp ground. However, we are all naïve, we give in to this irrational feeling, let ourselves be led astray or rise above our heights. However, in every situation we have to deal with painful consequences that we have to bear on our shoulders.  
Was she able to meet all these feelings again? Destroy the promises she gave herself? It is said that a man in love does not think rationally, maybe it's partly true, but everyone risks their own hearts to feel loved for a moment.  
— Why exactly? — before she realized the dust of the words she said, he hung in the air.  
She kept thinking about why he was so important to him, she had nothing special to offer him. They valued their mutual friendship, but why his words, which he heard from him on holidays, did not give her peace until today. She did not see anything special about her, she was just a teenager, with the weight of her past that she bravely bore. She had no honors, no good relationships, what could she give him? Sometimes she wondered what she could offer him, but nothing came to her mind.  
She could see the tender smile spreading over his lips, which completely knocked her off balance. He put his hand gently to her cheek, a pleasant feeling of warmth spread over her body, making her eyes slowly fall down, but she still looked at his radiant face.  
— You know the answer to this question perfectly — he said in a ruined tone.  
— But... I have nothing to offer — she said with doubt.  
The murmur of his silent sigh filled her senses before he spoke again, turning her face to himself.  
— You proved not only us, but above all that you are able to achieve a lot, look at your life, how in a few months it changed. When I met you, you did not even want to speak, you had to pull anything out of you — she giggled, remembering those days — Today you are an independent young woman who is sometimes better off if you do not want to get hit. Do you think that nothing has changed?  
— Yes... but...  
However, she was unable to finish her speech when she felt almost rejecting the siphon that had wrapped her body around her. She did not like it. She murmured in a low voice, cursing inwardly that she had to give up the magic of the moment again.  
She sighed deeply as she clung to him closer, clutching her cheek against his collarbone. She glanced up as Chester appeared in the kitchen entrance, already opening his mouth to say something, but seeing what was happening inside, he waved only his hand, returning to the living room, leaving them alone.

She went down the bright steps of the apartment, almost stumbling over her own legs. She put her hand to her mouth, concealing the yawn that she wanted to run from her mouth. She clenched the ribbon of her dressing gown on her waist, making a bow out of it through the living room. The subtle aroma of caffeine filled her nostrils, she smiled tired when the smell of the gods' drink reached her. She fell on the bar stool, propping her hand on the bright counter.  
— Hold on — she raised her head when her brother's voice reached her.  
The man stood in front of her with a mug of steaming brown liquid that filled the walls of the dark cup to the brim.  
— You'll need it after this night.  
She thanked with a nod of her head, drank quite a sip of a caffeine drink, a pleasant aftertaste spread over her body. Tonight was not a quiet one, it felt painfully on her skin. She could not deny the feeling that something was beginning to change in her life in the last few days and that it was not for the better. In recent times, she began to receive a stranger phone, which began to bother her, every time she saw the sequence of nine digits displayed on the screen, with a great deal of uncertainty, she moved the green receiver to pick up another unintelligible combination. Nobody on the other side even said anything, did not even hear the stupid breath of this person, they were deaf phones without cover. Initially, it began to irritate her, after a few seconds she rejected the number, but the protracted state caused her anxiety. She hid it from her loved ones. She could not afford to let them discover that someone is starting to torment her. Recent events have led to more and more anxiety attacks, which she experienced the most during the nights that became a nightmare for her. She was constantly waking up paralyzed by fear or scream full of terror. Chester always tried with her, and he began to feel the effects of several days of sleepless nights. She did not have the heart to talk about these disturbing phones when he loudly wondered about the causes of her deteriorating condition. She was still silent, hiding the fact of her anxiety in front of him, though she promised him that she would tell him when something in her life would happen which would have the effect of panic attacks. She spat in her face that she had to treat him like that, but she saw no other way out.  
She gazed sadly at the dark substance, listening to the radio that quietly played on one of the shelves. She slipped quietly from the stool, fleeing into the living room, not even wanting breakfast. She put the mug on the glass table, then burrowed under one of the blankets she found in the dresser, not wanting to go anywhere.

— Do not even bother me — said the boy, entering the deserted hall, the sound of their footsteps echoing over the huge walls of the building, and the echo of their voices merged with their voices.  
— I asked you a simple question — she impatiently glared at him.  
— No! He thundered in a firm voice.  
They reached under one of the pair of doors that he pushed, grunted softly under the influence of movement, letting them into the darkness of the room. The sun tried to get through the small window, but the excess dust and spider webs created it effectively deprived him of it. With difficulty he found the switch on the brick walls, from which the plaster had come down, only the single paintings made by street artists adorned these walls.  
— You promised! Do you want to break your word? — She stood before the half-broken table, slamming her fist against the torn wood. The furniture grunted softly under the influence of a violent movement.  
— I told you — he turned to face her with dissatisfaction on his face — I will not take this risk. You're crazy about the rest young!  
— Do not call me like that! — She growled, folding her hands on her chest.  
She straightened up to get a look in his eyes.  
— So stop making me — he muttered, turning his back to her.  
He leaned over to look at one of the shelves. He unveiled the foil, where many documents or newspapers were hidden, but he stubbornly searched the drawer on, with fierceness painted on his face.  
— What does this have?  
He cursed softly when the irritating voice came to him:  
— You want to get into trouble? The police are already looking for you!  
But she did not expect the kind of reaction he would expect, quiet laughter tore one of the rooms of the deserted factory, and he prayed inwardly that no one would pass by. Everyone in the area knows that it is a deserted place by a producer who moved to the other end of the city with his interest. The building supposedly belonged to demolition but for two years it has been standing in the same place, giving shelter to teenagers from the area.  
— Close yourself, you do not want to hear us...

— Did you tell him?  
She jerked her head up because she had been staring at her second breakfast so far. She took in a look behind her friend who sat comfortably in front of her, already consuming a second portion of French fries. She laughed softly when she saw her gobbling up golden potatoes, to the look of a blond girl who drank a fork into a sliced tomato, eating homemade lettuce.  
— What are you talking about? — She said, out of distraction.  
Selena sighed quietly, putting away another portion of her unhealthy food, exchanged meaningful glances with Alexandra, then looked at her again.  
— Do I really have to explain it to you? — She sighed.  
Julia completely did not understand anything from words spoken by her best friend, she fell into a growing misunderstanding of the whole situation, which really began to upset her.  
— I do not understand what you mean, Selena?  
Girlfriend sighed quietly before she said:  
— About you and Mike — She lowered her voice so that only she would be able to hear her.  
— Are you crazy ?! — her voice lifted slightly — Nothing connects me! — she said, returning to her old form, repression.  
— Sure — she replied with a sneer — You have a repression syndrome dear, you love him and you know it.  
She muttered softly under her breath, then stuck in the can of chilled drink she held.

She walked slowly across the paved bridesmaids of her favorite park. The sun was lazily floating in a blue state, warming up with its splendor of a huge city strolling around the metropolis, tired residents who returned with great pleasure to their homes after a tiring day at work, teenagers got out of the embrace of the school's educational facility by sunbathing enjoying the day without tormenting their teachers or subsequent homework.  
She refused to meet her friends again, trying to persuade her to go to their cafe, for an aromatic coffee. She was not too eager for this idea, so she wriggled quickly, claiming that she must go home because she wants to sleep, which was not a lie. The last days were more and more disturbing, the ever-repeated deaf phones, the proliferating text messages from the unknown number, and the strange feeling that someone was following her. She could not help feeling that every time she walked back to the apartment, someone was watching her behind a nearby tree. On the one hand, it was such a horrifying feeling that she could not think of anything else, knowing that someone was lurking behind a nearby corner led her into more and more madness. She had the impression that she was falling into more and more paranoia, which slowly began to destroy her. She should ignore it, but she could not, it was stronger than her.  
— It was not easy to find you, but what will I ever find you love.


	38. TOM 1— REBEL : 37 — IT'S TIME TO OPEN THE DIARY OF THE PAST

She looked through the huge glass of one of the trained buildings of the world's movie and music industry, sighed quietly, looking at the residents walking along the pavement, it was impossible not to notice people with cameras or tourist backpacks visiting one of the most popular cities in the world. They were so carefree. Smiling women urged their children, asking them to hurry up. Students at a nearby schoolgirl were still crossing the threshold of the restaurant, ordering additional portions of caffeine drinks. She watched them carefully, laughing, discussing the last class, or thinking about plans for the approaching noon. They gave her furtive glances, she was not surprised at all. Many people spent such a hot day under the bright sun, strolling on the juicy grass or taking a moment to spend them on the water games over the ocean. She was the only one in the student restaurant with a sketchbook resting on her slightly exposed legs.  
She looked up when she heard the quiet words of the waitress, which she then asked for iced coffee and a portion of vanilla ice cream with an admixture of biscuits. She thanked her quietly, put down the still open notebook with the sketch of the beautiful seascape she had been working on. Grabbing the icing bowl of frozen treats, she set about smashing them. She was happy that she chose this kind of rest after a hard day at school. She did not feel like going back home in the last few days, she appeared late in the evening, when her brother was already asleep, and she was free to go to her room.  
Recently life was not kind to her, constant stress caused by upcoming exams, the choice of further education. She did not know what to do next, she wanted to continue to educate, but fate does not like to be good for her for too long. She could only be hoping that she would survive another year without any events she had to regret. The road that is her writing has not been littered with roses even now that her life has changed dramatically. The past will always admonish itself.  
She sighed quietly, setting down the dish with the unfinished sweets, moved her hand over the notebooks or textbooks spread on the table. She tried to focus on something ordinary, but something did not work out. Resigned, she reached for her beloved notebook with drawings, transferring the image that began to break into her head on the paper. She unveiled the powders of art colleges that she had been looking at intensively for a few days. In her eyes, she flung herself in the dark brown and caramel colors of the Pasadena College College of Design brochure, grabbed a laminated card between her fingers, opening it. She traced her gaze on a slightly darkened background, a bright text:

You want to get the desired skills of a graphic point of view, you want to develop your artistic talent. Our university gives you excellent conditions to be able to boast of outstanding works, recognized throughout the world.

She brushed the annoyed paper, throwing it away on the dark table top:  
— What's the point?  
She closed the history book, dropping it into a dark purse, which she also did with her workbooks, where she scrupulously kept her notes. Dripping everything into a bag decorated with studs, she threw a twenty-dollar plankton on the table, then grabbed a cardboard cup filled with her beloved drink from the table, left the premises, not even saying goodbye to the employees.  
She did not know where she was going, her legs alone led her in a direction well-known to them. She started, unaware of what she did. She walked quickly, pushing through the crowd of tourists, on which she began to complain. She gave some cynical remarks to them when several of them caught her attention.  
She was starting to have enough of her life.  
A bloody diary that was supposed to drown at the very bottom of the Pacific Ocean, but he effectively floated ashore with algae and seagrass. Found by the wanderer, he noticed the initials of the early owner, he got stained to look for the owner of this extraordinary thing to return it to his own hands. He restored her life to an old girl who was always walking like heels, thinking that someone was lying behind her, laughing dubiously at her subsequent falls. Stalker, who even drew sick satisfaction from her attempts to live a normal life, while trying to bring to memories the good moments of his life, instead of full of joy smile, lurking a grimace of dissatisfaction and boorish words that were to return to her dictionary. She was gifted with what she most wanted to erase from her biography. Revolting against everything that surrounds her, was this how her life was going to look like? Fate would painfully torture her again, punish her through a relationship she was so damn shameful about. What he wanted to achieve. Again, put on her path a boy who was trembling with fear at the thought, being anxious about what he would do to make her life painfully land at the bottom of the deepest canyon.  
She was already irritated that at the moment when she felt that the world was waiting for her, he appeared again. He was just waiting, thinking about how to lead her to his own ruin. And why were these months of her constant struggle for herself, where she gained this, lacking confidence, she lost herself in a life full of everyday routine, which she liked, because she knew that despite this she had something unannounced. Undressed with a group of friends, she was finally noticeable and not tormented, now she was showing that she was not allowed to mess with her. She did not bother, she only realized that she would not let anyone humiliate her, she would receive her punishment from her. Lost brother years ago, he gave her what she lacked. Warm, safe asylum that she could finally call home and most importantly brotherly love. Although she had never had the courage to tell him the three words, expressing her gratitude to him, she could only guess that she understood her behavior and that she did not want or could not tell him that she loved him.  
However, everything had to fall into rubble like a house of cards, when this one meeting caused that she started losing herself in her old life, which led her almost to her own agony.  
She slammed the door of a modern apartment with a bang, dropped her favorite converss at the feet, did not even care where she sent them. Muttering quietly at their neighbor, who again began to complain that their dogs bark loudly and could not rest, walked through the living room, where she did not even look up.  
— Old knot — she mumbled angrily.  
A loud rumble broke through the apartment, making men present in the salon with a headache. They looked at each other significantly, exchanging worried glances. The older one got up from his chair, moving restlessly across the bright panels of the room, folding his hands on his back.  
His sister's state worried him. Usually smiling and full of positive energy, she became moody teenagers, walking eternally in black. She again took on the color of the red that enveloped the strands of her hair. An old copy of an old rebel who was full of anger and hatred of the whole society returned from a charming eighteen-year-old girl. It took just a week to destroy the character of Julia Bennington again. He was most afraid of this moment when he would again see a girl full of incomprehension and the emptiness she was going through. He did everything to get her true self out of her, but it was enough for him not to pay attention to lose her again.  
— You see, it's been for a few days — he turned to a friend who sadly looked at the place where his friend had disappeared.  
No one knew that Michael was the most attached to them, he did not even try to hide how this girl was dear to him. She helped him with his presence in the most important moment of his life, when his friends were losing hope that they were able to get him out of depression into which he fell more and more. She turned his life upside down, gave her a chance that the lost two years would not be in vain to give him a chance he could not see earlier. She restored him to the splendor of her old life. What could he do when they started losing her again? What hurts him most was the fact how much she moved away from them, more and more pushing them into the background, and they did not understand, they were not even aware of what had happened in her life, that she had undergone such a sudden change. He asked Chester if he did not know something, but he was also helpless. In the extreme, he called her closest friend, who also did not escape the strange behavior of a friend, but she told him not much. For some time, Julia has become the worst nightmare in class, forever poisoning life for teachers or students. The previous conflict with April Crystal became even sharper, but unfortunately her rival suffered another defeat, she even stopped worrying her, afraid of what would come up with young Bennington to play. In a word, the teenager was the person he picked up at the beginning of the summer holidays. She was dry, joyless, she screamed for ever.  
However, her legal guardian still harassed the thought of deepening anxiety attacks, which were repeated every night, were even more and more annoying, making the teenager even more annoyed. She did not sleep at night, but surprisingly, she did not lose her appetite as before when he read the orphanage's opinions, when she mentioned that when she passed her periods in which she opposed everything, she even refused to eat, but he did not notice it here. Which did not change him, because she did not become terribly skinny like an anorexic. She still kept the same figure, but changed her appearance a bit. Earlier loose T-shirts or shorts turned into black or leather, which in her wardrobe began to greet more often. She did not, however, forget about Katline's advice and also chose a bit vivid and joyful colors, but everything was more subdued. However, now her dress belonged to a leather jacket, matched trousers of the same material and dark shirts with prints.  
He was pulling the last hair out of his head to get rid of all this tangle, but he could not find anything. The sister effectively repelled him from the beginning of her problems, constantly repeating that he has control over him and is aware of what he is doing. However, he began to doubt it when he heard it once when talking about something loud on the phone, the discussion did not belong to the calm, and indeed there was a quarrel between her and his interlocutors, the only thing that could later hear her silent crying, when she hid herself inside her wardrobe she was covered with a few clothes, sobbing. He could not pass by her indifferently. He sat with her for a good two hours, trying to persuade her to reveal him right, but she kept walking in, all she asked to let her deal with her own life. What could he do? Julia was an adult and she knew what she was doing. He could only be with her and help with increasing panic attacks and wait impatiently until he decides to give him a chance and ask for help. He did not want to be intrusive, but the fear for the girl was stronger than he.  
— Did you try to talk to her? — Shinoda said in a broken voice, who glanced into the shimmering sun on the light wood.  
— Not once, Mike — he sighed deeply.  
He fell on the soft material of the leather chair, rubbing his face with his hands.  
— She does not want to talk to me. She rejects me! It's starting to look like the girl I took from Phoenix. I do not want to lose her again — sorrow and sadness filled his heart.  
He did not want her to regain the situation in which she must recover her again, she lost so much, but fate did not let her seem to live long and happy. He did not prepare a happy ending for her with a fairy tale prince who takes her to his castle, on the contrary, a good soul becomes a bad character. The cynicism of this whole situation is the fact that the teenager was clearly prepared for it and will be fully aware when it finally comes to this. She was to experience a sad ending, punished for something she did not do. It is said that the world is just, but in her case it was possible to comment on it with loud laughter. And she did it!  
— And you will not lose — a friend assured him — I'll go talk to her, maybe she'll tell me something.  
He rose from the soft couch, climbing the bright stairs. He made some steps, he knew the way to her room, he could reach her with his eyes closed. He sighed quietly as he stood in front of a wooden door painted white. He knocked softly, but he did not receive an invitation at first when he heard loud music from the bedroom. He resumed his earlier act, the song fell silent, and moments later an angry 18-year-old stood on the threshold.  
— I will not miss this conversation? — she began at the beginning, seeing his serious expression.  
— And what did you expect me to let go — he answered her question, crossing his hands on a well-built pedigree.  
Resigned, she let him in. Nothing has changed here until the last time. Despite his period of rebellion, the room was well-kept, and the subtle aromas of vanilla hovered in the air. On a dark desk, only a few sheets of some sketches and colored pencils were scattered, which found a place on light sheets of paper. He followed her gaze as she sat on the swivel chair, turning back to the drawing she had begun in the restaurant. She grabbed the colored pencil between her fingers, making the exact shadow of the rough waves during the storm. He watched with admiration as her hand drifted on the bright side. He leaned against the dark desk, still staring closely at every move she made. The focused face on the place taking its shine was really charming. He could not take his eyes off her as she took another pencil to add a dizzying sea of blue to the glitter of the lightning reflected in the water that cut the sky.  
— Will you answer in the end? — He asked quietly, trying to snatch her out of nostalgia.  
A futile effort because she was too focused on her work. He straightened up, grabbed the tip of the colored pencil she was holding, taking it out of her hand. She cried outraged, but before she spoke, she clenched her fingertip on her chin, lifting her violently from the dark chair. He did not know what had entered him, he stopped counting that it was only a fate, or nothing significant showing his sympathy. He ceased to believe this after a passionate evening on the last holidays, then their relationship underwent a violent change, which both of them were aware of, but effectively did not allow it to themselves. The truths they were afraid of, and at the same time were so close to them.  
— You will not do it! — she said slightly frightened, but the shadow of some unspecified feelings ran through her bright look — You dare not. Not after that!  
— You take me for a coward?  
He clenched his hands on her waist, almost making a heart attack. It was futile to her to get away from his firm grip, he was much stronger than her, and come, he did not bother to get more strength to stop her, he was amused by the situation when, helplessly, she tried to fight with herself when the reason he ordered her to move away, but her heart was in a different direction, which she supposedly did not regret.  
— It should never happen — she was not aware when she sank in her own tears. Salt drops of your own despair and life full of puzzles.  
— You will not turn back time, you will not lose what you feel, despite your great intentions, it will be with you. Live! — He brushed the waterfall of tears running down her pale cheeks, almost lovingly pushing her red hairs from her eyes into her eyes.  
— But...  
She could not finish it, her expression fled in her mind. The only thing she could do was give him up when she felt his hot lips again, leading her in the sensual dance of their own desires. From their first kiss he could make her forget everything that bothered her, the bad moments passed, and she could only feel the subtle delight of their passions, something she hated so much, and at the same time she loved herself, lost herself as if tomorrow would not exist.  
She grabbed the edge of his dark shirt, clutching his squares at the edge of the collar, almost forced him to turn away, gently pushing him against the swivel chair behind him. She did not know what had happened to her, when she almost made him sit on a leather seat, and climbed herself on his knees, lovingly giving each kiss. She did not know why she did it? She was no longer aware of the thirsts she had smothered in her, she knew that they would remain with her, and she did not intend to cheat when she saw him every time, her heart tearing more and more to him. It was stronger than her, she could not control it anymore, although she wanted it so badly. She closed her eyes as she felt his hands slowly glide over her waist.  
She loved him every day, but she had to suppress it, not right now. She could not show her weakness, she had failed once. He will not do it a second time. Man has many weaknesses, for her one of them was love for Mike. A wonderful feeling that she should get drunk on, but she felt afraid just thinking that someone would cover her feelings for the young musician, especially the unwelcome one who once led to the destruction of all layers of great feeling in her body. She could not and now become a puppet in his hands, she could not allow her to the man who had stolen her heart safely into his safe.  
— Will you tell me what's going on?  
She moaned frustrated and disgusted when she could not feel his hot and loving lips. She looked down at her interlaced hands. What was she to tell him? Forgive me, Mike, that I love you, but mine was effectively deprive me of this damned hope that I will ever be happy, total absurdity.  
— If I even wanted to, there are matters in which I do not want to privy you — she said in a low voice — It will make you look at me from the most unfavorable side. I do not want to disappoint you, but until I can deal with these problems myself, you will live in ignorance — she stopped when she wanted to say the last words.  
— You do not think this solution is irrational, I can go so far as to say that he is just stupid — he took her face in his hands, almost making her look at him — Do you want to go to extremes? You do not trust yourself and you know it well. She is afraid of herself and your guesses are absurd. You need us!  
— No, I do not need you — she said harshly.  
She immediately regretted her words when she realized what truth she had put in front of her. A living smelling me in the eye, like a red-hot iron that fell on your hands, burning you unmercifully. But she had to endure this pain, look at her almost burnt hands covered with painful blisters from which streams of scarlet blood were running down. She must have suffered the consequences of her first relationship, which echoes in her life.  
She saw the disappointment in his dark eyes. She failed him! She was afraid of it the most, to see the subtle proof of her actions. She has already lost a lot of her reckless behavior, instead of stopping it, rejecting a man who would be able to help her, but she decided to play a hero who can handle everything.  
Almost with tears in her eyes, she watched her gently pull her from her hips and then soot it on the dark furniture. He saw the aftertaste of an old defeat gathered in her eyes. He smiled slightly, and her snide mind told her how she was behaving rude at the moment, because she had led it herself, but he wiped the tear that fluttered her cheek with tenderness.  
— Remember, you are not alone.  
With a clenched throat, she watched as the door behind him closed, and she no longer stopped the thundering salt drops of water that flowed down her pale face.  
— I will not let myself be forgotten!  
There was the same thought in her mind, full of rage, and she threw some things from the desk, which clattered on the bright panels. She fell between them, and her body shook with a sudden sob.  
— How many times will you destroy me, Kent? — She growled into space.  
She lay in the middle of the bedroom with a violent cry, her mind's darkness passed together with those she loved, more and more seeing what he had brought her into relationship with her ex-partner. She could not even be happy now.

— Adrien does not make any sense — she said, perched on the edge of the destroyed stones.  
A long unused factory of some snacks was spreading behind them. There was not much to hear about it, only the rumors that the owner fell into debts and soon went bankrupt. He left the old production hall, not even bothering about its demolition, so that this seat became a place of local youth with artistic souls who could express themselves on the dingy walls of large rooms, where before there were machines creating products created by the head of the company.  
— Did she expect everything to come easily? — said blond, riding her skateboard over the damaged street pavement — I knew from the beginning, when I saw that you are dealing with him, that this guy will eventually lead to something and please — Agreste laughed — He fell in love with the most inaccessible girl in our high school.  
— What are you? You tried to get me to bed yourself — she snapped back, looking at him.  
Blond under the flow of her words stumbled over the protruding edge, almost without falling from the skateboard, but he kept his balance. He mingled at her last words, admitting her a painful truth. At the moment, he was ridiculing the feeling of being different to a young girl, and he did not behave quite well in her relationship.  
— I'm sorry — he muttered, afraid to look at her.  
— Okay, I did not promise to forget about it, but I'm still sorry for the director's punishment for our quarrel.  
— What do you want me to finally finish reminding me? — He sighed.  
— A box of chocolates and a good wine otherwise I will not leave you alone — she added with a slight smile, which in the last days was not a frequent sight.  
He nodded gently, as a sign of understanding, and then again, discussions about the recent events that took place at the school. From the moment Will decided to tell her feelings, a strange atmosphere was going on in high school. In total, she should not be surprised when the footballer announced it on the whole school forum. She thought she would be ashamed then, but she did not lose her cool reserve. She kept calm and politely told him to find someone else, because she would never love him. The last lesson was suddenly canceled among the high school graduates, letting them leave their homes earlier. She also had plans, but Adrien stopped her at the school entrance, asking her to go with him. From that moment they were sitting on the threshold of this abandoned factory, talking about the whole event.  
She returned only to the apartment in the evening, when the blond received a message from his sympathy to come to her. Although they were on the first date, their relations seem to be even stronger and more durable. She could have said that they would make a lovely couple, if Marinette could trust him again as she once did.

She sat on the edge of the wooden terrace, the cool wind enveloped her bare arms, she heard the music playing behind the trained doors of the terrace, loud laughers of the partiers reflected her painfully in the mind. They were so carefree, not worried about anything. They had a reason for that. She tried to enjoy with them, but something was still bothering her, she was not able to stop thinking about it, she was afraid that she would not sew up these pages until the end, and they would fall to the floor, reveal her dismal mood, all through these damned memories of her old life.  
She stared at the garden gleaming with single lights, which shimmered subtle near, lush flowers and shrubs looked drawn alive from some fantastic picture that can be found in the depths of the Internet. A delightful image of a small nature.  
She did not pay attention when someone stood behind her, she jerked her head up as she felt the warm stuff of her pickle wrapping up her slightly frozen hands. Only then did she meet those characteristic green eyes of David, the shadow of a smile ran through her face as the man sat on the edge of the last step, staring at the light-bathed figure. She rested her hands on her knee, losing her dark navy dress on her knees. She grabbed the lapels of her jacket slightly, wrapping herself closer.  
— What's happening?  
He wrenched it from a light reflection as she focused her eyes again on her hands covered with dark gloves, made of light fabric. She began to have enough of these growing questions slowly, but she took on the old mask, impassive teenager and bravely replied that it was only transitory moments. She slowly began to get lost in her own lies. Previously, she had no problems to hide the truth from anyone, now that this long-awaited harmony had crept into her life, when she was surrounded by a bunch of friends and eventually had someone she cared about, now that she knew she had a family, she had to effectively pushing them away, creating still mendacious assurances that it feels good. She was tired of it, but she still had to wrestle it, shelves he would not give her peace, or worse, lead her to the cemetery. Her ex was able to do everything. She would not be surprised if he sought her death, but now he liked to intimidate her. Possessiveness lay in his nature, and although he told him about it, he denied it.  
Patience was also her salvation, but also her destruction.  
— Nothing — she replied involuntarily.  
It became her small habit to convince her friends to her false words. She felt sorry for the thought, but she preferred them to be ignorant than to know her sad truth.  
— You're strangely silent from the beginning of the party. You have not exchanged too many words with us, you run away from us. I'm worried about you.  
— Dave, I assure you that it's all right — She put her hand gently on his shoulder, looking into his warm eyes.  
Unexpectedly, she felt strong arms that had found her place on her waist before she could think a friend's jacket fell off her shoulders, falling on the wooden boards of the terrace. She scared frightened when she lost ground under her feet and she was raised by someone. She looked around a little panicked, looking for the perpetrator of all confusion.  
— Michael, how many times do I have to tell you not to scare me — she snarled, staring at his shining eyes.  
He did not answer immediately, walked through the living room, putting her on dark panels, folded her hands over her chest, glancing at him.  
— I do nothing — he defended, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.  
— Sure — she said with a slight sarcasm in her voice — Now what do you wish your jubilarian wish for?  
— I do not...  
She turned around, looking around at the gathered guests who had already drunk a lot. She caught Annie in the small crowd - one of Shinoda's friends, with whom she still had contact, a young woman, seeing her look, smiled only slyly, then left with her friends for another drink. Before she could speak, however, she was again kidnapped to dance. She did not intend to resist, spinning on the dance floor with her friend.


	39. TOM 1— REBEL : 38 —  I WILL NOT HURT YOU, DEAR, I WILL DESTROY YOU!

She tightened her long fingers on the edge of the black shoulder bag she had slung over her shoulder. The knots of her hand paled, making her natural color fail. How good a good actress was she still to make a little bit of her natural behavior? She still wondered what she would do to the people around her, see her eternally happy teenager, which would not hurt anything. But the truth was too cruel to let her know the true face. She again took her old mask of a lost girl from Phoenix, who, hiding her feelings or emotions, rebels against social injustice. She became an old puppet of fate, allowing her to stick on strings like a theater puppet who plays the main roles in the art of life under the watchful eyes of the puppeteer. For her, the actor holding her on the veins was a fate that brought her back to the dark planks of her past scene, where she was to present her perfect role for the last time.  
But she felt numbness, her body paralyzed, every step she took. She had the strange impression that she was treading on hot coal that hurt her bare feet painfully. She fell into paranoy at any moment when she had to, convince herself to suppress the urge to look back and see if she could see again the cruel destiny on her heels, fixed on the young man's body. The rhythm of her heart accelerated at every moment when the rustle of the wind-blowing debris that carried by the force of nature rushed to her sensitive ears and flew out of the communal tank, where the disintegration and stench of the discarded waste were felt. She clenched her teeth harder, so that she would not be able to throw herself in the distance with panic painted on her face with great difficulty. She had to keep the calm she was missing now.  
She fell into the extremes of her behavior. One day, she could be calm and joyful, feeling that she is able to give herself a hem, the next time she wanted to escape what is worrying her, fuse herself with the glass surface from the demons of her sick past, while she could sit all day depressed speaking little, staring intensely at the beginning of the sketch of the drawing she made, then, afterwards, full of frustration, to draw the paper from the decorated sketchbook, throwing crumpled paper on the bright panels of the living room. She spent the last weeks, vegetating between sadness, joy or rage that seized her flaccid body. She did not pay attention to requests, convincing or attempting to translate. She had lost her zeal for anything, and she did not hide it anymore. She gave up her dreams of graphic studies, which were to become her pass into the future, now they have become an unattainable dream in the distance of her mind. Science was hard to come by, which was clearly visible after her poor grades, the class teacher of his class tried to reach her, but he also sold him away. She did not care about anything, since at every corner she could meet her, a figure in the hood, holding a blade in her hand that she did not part with.  
The moments in which she loved to come back and admire the lush green of grasses and the blooming buds of flowers, feeling the gravel path of the park underfoot, now becoming an extending journey through perhaps mental torture. It turned into a dangerous game in which it is the main pawn, and someone effectively managed it, like a pawn, constantly pushing the fields of continuous defeats. Places where she would lose all hope. Pushing her into his arms, the snails of his grip would not allow her to breathe normally. She forgot about her own trust, which for the last months became stronger, now it was only a tiny ash in the wind, practically invisible in the endless clear sky.  
She lost too much in her life, stumbled, falling on hard ground many times, so now she should not feel it right? And yet every fall hurt with redoubled strength, as if someone had burned her with red-hot melted iron. The months of working on her own soul have become a period of hopeless attempts when one event ruined all her faith in a happy ending. The end of her adventure will be, cool down, steel irises, which will look with vivid satisfaction as she pushes her into the freshly dug grave, burying her alive. A gray look embedded in the depths of the cornea that haunted her in vivid nightmares.  
Eyes she was afraid of.  
She did not listen to the quiet singing of nightingales, which crouched on the crowns of nearby oaks, winning the melodies of nature, which she loved to listen to as she passed through this winding bridesmaids. She did not want to hear the bustle of the city, which was full of life, tired, but satisfied residents returned to their cool homes, resting after a hard day at work, pouring out of school, young people who hurried to their homes for an afternoon treat prepared by their parents, then in the comfort of their rooms to do their homework. She could see two children passing by next to her, who were arguing about something, laughing once.  
With a hard beating heart, she went through an olive gate that separated the local garden from the bustle of the metropolis, as if it was their own world that could be closed. Her cool breath left her lips frozen in stillness. She was afraid of returning home. It was not normal, she always came back to the apartment full of enthusiasm and joy, now she felt numb at the thought that she had to cross the threshold of the Californian home. She was afraid of questions, guesses, and requests to talk to her. She was afraid to look into her deeply concerned eyes of her brother, who was increasingly worried about her deepening state. She disposed of him every time she tried to talk, she saw that she was hurting him, but she could not act otherwise. The only thing that she felt sorry for was when she had to look at her with a raw mask of indifference to the wound she herself had created.  
The ice of the blade, a blunt unpleasant cold, spread painfully over her body, making her shiver. The tongue of the metal wrapped painfully around her body when she felt her cling to her like a sacrifice. Suppressed in a black glove, a screech of horror, he trapped in her larynx, a grimace of dissatisfaction passed through her face as she felt the characteristic smell of blood, and she barely refrained from bending her in half when tears filled her eyes, full of suffering. They dripped slowly on the leather material that covered the attacker's hand, his hoarse laughter hurting her senses as he watched with satisfaction as he writhed in his strong vines.  
— Good girl — sneered, and his dry voice deprived of any students hurt her through.  
She did not even have to look back to know this characteristic tone of voice, she knew him too well, he was still painfully reflected in her mind, always mocking the same laughter. She was aware of how much she was wallowing in her wounds, drawing a pure delight of happiness when he could look like a spell on her fear, which almost made her fall under his feet. He was amused by her poor masking skills or the art of acting, he was fully aware of how much he suffered, he loved it. Get drunk in sadistic thoughts, in which she created the main role when he could fulfill his sick fantasies. She became his toy!  
She cried painfully when she felt his naked lips, which moved closer to her exposed collarbone. A spell like a beast devouring her prey, she caught a piece of her pale skin, passionately waving her tongue over her pale complexion, rejoicing like victory, who won his trophy when he could taste the smell of her body again. The frosty chill of sharp metal slid slowly down her hip, leaving behind a slight furrow that flushed with a living flame.  
For him it was just a play, a meaningless snack by the smoldering plan in his mind. The fun was just beginning!  
He was sure of his win, he knew he would do anything, he was subordinate to him, if she did not want to lose her heart, she was even forced to listen to his orders. He was its tormentor, the guide of her life, destiny, from which she had no escape.  
— Honey, now I invite you on a small trip — she felt his icy breath, which made her a cold sweat — I do not have to lean you, unless you play a humble girl? — He asked, clenching his long fingers on her cheek to turn her toward him — You know what's going to happen next — A sharp knife clenched painfully on her wrist, forming a few scars in it.  
She nodded imperceptibly as his hand still covered her pale lips. He moved away from her, but still remained in close contact when he cunningly hid a penknife in the pocket of a dark sweatshirt. She could run away when he was leading her through the crowded street of the city, but she knew that he could not go far, he was much smarter than he was and he could find her everywhere. She did not know where they were going, did not recognize these buildings, the only thing she was aware of, how high buildings began to pile up, but they lost their splendor, they were made out of the old color were painted by street graphic artists who created fantasy murals on gray bricks.  
She was painfully exposed to the walls of one of them, when she was brutally pushed into a deserted alley, a single garbage container was the perfect hideout for the criminal actions of a young man, in whose heart the only lust was smoldering. A sick, self-craving desire, the destruction of what he once could call this one, now vengefulness, which was bathed in his mind, filled his interior so he could see it fall to his knees.  
— What do you want? — she asked dryly.  
He laughed mockingly when he heard a subtle hint of anxiety that enveloped the teenage girl's heart. He held her tightly, led his arm, arranging it on her neck, effectively taking away the fresh air. His pride spread when he saw her face gray, taking the unnatural shade of purple. He gently uncovered her throat, letting air repairs, used this moment effectively when he heard a small whistle in her throat. He loved it when she tried to take on a mask of indifference, in which he conceals his paralysis at the thought of him, but he effectively deprived her of it, wanting her life to be subordinate to him.  
She saw his lips, grimacing in a happy smile, rule in his gray eyes. She made her mind that she had decided to dress today with a dark skirt that covered her slim legs. She tensed violently, feeling his hand tighten on the dark cloth, lifting it slightly up. He put his two fingers to his chapped lips, looked disgustedly at the end of the tongue on his fingertips. She wanted to shout, panic, but her voice was stuck in her throat. Her legs refused to obey her, as her brain effectively told her to get away and run away, but her body did not listen to him, overcome with terrifying fear. She shuddered, feeling when he slipped the bottom of her underwear off her hips. She wanted to become an image of the wall to which she had been restored, cease to exist, disappear from his eyes when she felt his thumb, tightened on her femininity, her efforts went to waste when she tried to break free of his arms.  
— Relax, darling, it will not hurt — he said in a hoarse voice, still playing with her, tickling her palms on her labia.  
She could not stop the tears that flowed from her aching eyes, the only thing she had ever dreamed of, not to know it, to somehow turn off her healthy conversations, for which deeds should never happen. Her eyelids sank down when she did not want to see her own humiliation. A scream of panic left her lips, but she soon regretted it when she felt her cheeks bulging with lively fire, and her dark glove covered her lips again. He did not care for anything anymore, full of sick lust, he sank his fingers painfully in her clitoris.  
She felt a wave of humiliation spread from her body, another proof of his superiority to her, when his eyes glittered dangerously when he moved violently, there was nothing romantic or subtle about it. It was to be her punishment, for his earlier humiliation, to which she contributed. It was her further proof of her earlier mistakes, the decisions she had previously seemed right to her, today they were just her next nail of the coffin.  
He did not say a word to her, and she barely tolerated the daggers in her breast, which dipped into her wounded heart when she did not see the end of her internal tortures. The seconds turned into long minutes when she felt, his fingers curled in, in the middle of her femininity, as if every corner of her body were full of pleasure. It felt like it would never end. She tried to gain strength to push him away from her, but she was a leader like a rag doll matched to his will.  
The sick lust came in his steel gaze when he freed her from her inner grip. She swallowed hard when she saw him re-taste her lips again. She could not allow herself to go a step further. She gathered her courage, not even letting him speak. Full of rage, he pushed him away, correcting the crooked underwear, ran out of the dingy street, running out onto the sidewalk full of people. She knew she could not get her here and finish her sick fantasies. Shaken and tearful, she pushed herself between people, not wanting to listen to the blasphemies he was throwing at her and subsequent threats. She only wanted to be in the safe walls of a modern apartment and sink in the fluff of a bright eiderdown.  
She was not sure when she reached the flat, the streams of salt water flowing down her cheeks blurred her visibility, but she finally stood in front of the dark door. Without thinking, she pushed them, throwing everything she had in her hands in the corner, she did not pay attention when she heard Chester's voice, who he spoke to. With a piercing heart, she walked quickly across the living room, secretly seeing her brother and his good friend who stared at her full of terror. Not every day she returned home in such a huge condition. They exchanged alarmed when her bedroom door slammed.  
— Enough of that! — Bennington got up from his chair — It's been taking too long! — he announced in a firm voice.  
Anxiety about my sister grew in him every day when he saw her return home. He could bear her not too good humor or outbursts of anger, but he could not watch her come back full of uncertainty, and tears ran down her cheeks. He wanted to help her, but she refused any help. He could not allow it much, he had seen it once, when secrets were destroying a man. He could not lose the most important person in his life.  
He climbed the bright steps, not drawing attention that his friend would follow him. He himself had a hard time going through such a sudden change in teenagers' behavior, somewhere there was the hook of her strange deeds, but none of them could dig inside.  
Chester did not play anything like a knock, he went in, and the girl's frightening cry came to his ears. He looked around, trying to find out where he was. She sat in the corner of the room, where she kept her easel. Huddled on the bright earth, she threw herself into the mistakes of her youth trying to erase the last incident from her memory. She was completely oblivious to the appearance of the vocalists of the music group. The man found himself beside her, less than a second. Wrapped in her own arms, she could only feel his hand, which tightened on her arm.  
— Do not touch me! — She hissed.  
Frightened, he stopped in mid-motion, felt his friend's piercing gaze on him as she tried to cover the salty tears that flowed down her pale cheeks, but the effect was futile when, as in the movie, the last minutes of the meeting with her ex-wife would appear in front of her eyes. boyfriend. He again trampled on her, kicked her, gave her pain that he could not forget. She felt loath to herself when she reproached herself for letting him come closer to him, gave him room for action, and he effectively used it, implementing his plan. She was to become his property again, which is completely subordinate to him. Become a person deprived of their own opinion. Horrible, but real, how this boy could be ruthless when he found her on his way. Sometimes she wondered if he took on a role to distress her. Give her a lot of suffering she could not deal with.  
She did not even try to hide herself, when the sobs overwhelmed her body, it was definitely too much for her.  
— Julio, what happened? He asked softly.  
The misty image of the man in front of her made her want to fall even more into the darkness of her soul, hide as far as possible from his warm voice filled with tenderness. She condemned him to a life filled with unexplained secrets and teenagers with a past that she wanted to scrape like a piece of paper from the diary and throw unnecessary things into the basket, and then they would blow into the air.  
She fell on the bright planks of the dance floor, she did not even care about the presence of Chester and Mike, she had had enough of her lousy life. Nothing mattered to her even her promises, which she once made herself, that she would not show her fall, it did not matter anymore, not today!  
She did not answer, she did not have the courage, because what could she tell them? She may not have behaved properly and should tell them about the attempt to rape, but she lost one person when she decided to reveal, though a substitute of what had been tormenting her for over a few years, she left her, abandoned her, and she was brutally brought back to the lands, living in a world in which he is possessed by blood-filled beasts, which only he desired to taste the sweet substance of human sweetness, which for her was like the sweetest nectar.  
She did not pay attention when two worried men exchanged meaningful glances. Only then did she feel the smell of an open wound from which blood metal dripped, and the bright floor was stained with her own blood.  
— Stand up — his words were like a request.  
She refused to shake her head when she met the familiar dark iris of the man. Kneeling beside her, he was more and more worried about her mental state. The loneliness of the loneliness that had been falling for many weeks made her feel again that she had no one with her to give her a helping hand, and those she had pushed away from her. He could not stand it, not now, not at this moment. He did not want to see how full of his destructive thoughts, absorb her treacherous tentacles of illness, which again gave itself to know.  
— Julio, please talk to us — the insistent urges of both musicians still have no effect.  
She did not even want to help herself, the sharp wound made by her blade no longer mattered to her. They watched as a girl who once brought much joy to their group slowly dying before their eyes, and they became helpless when their willingness to help was covered with quick words of refusal.  
They lost her!

\- Are you sure that this is your final decision? Chester asked.  
He sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the teenager's silhouette in the faint glow of bright lights, hidden under a pile of pillows and a warm cape that she threw over her shoulders. The events from the park completely changed her, the beginning of March was greeted with no expression. She became a robot that performs every command, she went to school with difficulty improving the grades and maintaining her teaching level at a satisfactory level. The only thing left now is sitting on the books and preparing for the most important exam in your life. She was trembling at the thought of checking tests, she was afraid she would not write them, that she would give her an empty job without any answers. All these thoughts set her in horror as she sat absorbed in the housework. The only thing left now is science.  
Friends?  
It took just less than two months to fall into the background. Earlier meetings or parties in friends' homes were no longer a routine of weekly Fridays. She limited contact with her friends to the minium, when concerned friends about her well-being began to ask what was going on. Her heart was bleeding, that she must treat her like that, but all the conversations and long conversations with young Adams did not work when she told her she did not want to talk about it. In recent times she has approached the young Agreste, who subconsciously understood her pain, always took her after school to their favorite place, just to talk about irrelevant topics. One day he confessed to her that he suggested Marinette would stay with him permanently, which the girl received with great enthusiasm. She enjoyed the happiness of friends, at least they began to arrange. Unfortunately, she was not so lucky with the band, the boys were not so gullible, they did not let her go, they wanted so much to know what was behind her still fearsome states, but she stubbornly did not speak. Still. She behaved like a kid, but this girl was brought up as an independent person who does not need anyone to help her. However, over time, she began to wonder if her ideologies are not absurd. Whenever she looked at them when they were worried about her, she wanted to spit in her face and inflict a painful blow to control herself and see how much she loses, wanting to push them away. However, she did not have enough courage to tell her firmly!  
So many times, at the last moment, she sustained herself not to shout to them that they would take her ex-partner from her, who drew a lot of fun from the next bays that he sent to her. She had no idea how he'd found her number, but she did not like it. Still the same repetitive words whose suggestions were so panickedly afraid. She needed a shake to wake up, just like in the day when she understood that her relationship with Clark was a fault and the worst life mistake.  
— Yes — she said dryly.  
She raised herself on her elbows, staring at her brother's darkened gaze.  
— I can not even handle the simplest things right now, I can not do it in college — she said, almost crying.  
— Do you want to destroy your dreams? You told me so many times that you want to get to Pasadena.  
— I stopped believing in miracles!  
She slid off the soft mattress, followed her every step carefully as she walked to her desk with her bare feet. She grabbed her favorite sketchbook and a set of crayons she had recently painted, opening her foot with one of the bottom drawers to put everything in the dark abyss of the cabinet.  
— They are not miracles — he repeated, hiding in two steps - "Only dreams" - he stood before her when she turned her back to him.  
Gently, he put his hand on her shoulder, he saw him slightly flinch, feeling his touch. From the moment of that memorable conversation, at first she did not want anyone approaching her, but when attacks with redoubled force came back to her, she hid her fear to help herself. Although she wanted someone to be with her then, she began to fear the night because she did not know what she was carrying. Still, she kept a cool distance.  
— Do you just want to give up on them? — he turned her towards him and he encountered a look of bright irises, deprived of any feelings, embracing the emptiness of darkness.  
— I was bored that something like that is for me. They effectively take away any faith, why try?  
— Julio...  
He could not say anything when the teenager broke free of his firm grip. The silent sound of the call stunned their senses, he saw her tighten her eyelids, and her breathing suddenly became spasmodic and fast when anxiety and anger took control over her. She did not even want to pick up, she knew who to call her. He liked her lately, he tired of torturing uninterrupted connections. With a groan of despair greeted the voice of the answering machine, who ordered to record to the voicemail, and she barely refrained from exploding hysterical crying, recognizing the hoarse voice of the young man.  
— Do not ignore me, honey, I know you're there.  
She stared in horror at Chester's face, who was staring at her, and she was telling herself that she had not turned off this damned speakerphone mode after the last conversation with Adrien.  
She stood dumbfounded listening to his further words.  
— You will not be able to hide from me for a long time as soon as I meet you, remember! It will hurt!  
She tightened her lips tightly, holding her breath. She was no longer afraid when she heard Kent's insipid voice, she was terrified. She stared at Elder Bennington's stupid gaze, who went to the dresser, grabbing her phone. He looked at the display, where the icon of the missed connection appeared. There was no photo, the inscription changed into a vivid color.  
Clark Kent  
— Who is Clark? — He asked calmly, but she could hear his voice trembling with drainage.  
— No one import ant — stammered weakly — No one really — she added with conviction.  
— No one? — he repeated, approaching her — In that case, how do you explain that the last ten calls you have not answered have a number with that name?  
— I told you — she took control after a while, taking on a serious expression — You should not be interested in who I'm talking to!  
— Of course, Julia, but you do not understand that I'm worried.  
— I know, but it's my business with whom he writes! — she growled furiously.  
It was one of the examples how her mood can change in an instant. Earlier, she would have turned it into a joke or simply did not pay attention to the fact that her brother looked into her phone. Until she had something to hide she was not afraid to leave her cell somewhere abandoned, but now too much has happened in her life. Now she was her own mystery.  
— Julio ... — he tried to convince her.  
Quickly, she came up to him, held out an open hand to him, ordering him to give her ownership. Resigned, he laid the device down on her hands, her fingers gripping the edge of the technological toy.  
— No Chester, it's too personal! — she said firmly — I told you many things, this time I can not understand? I can not!  
Fear ran through her face, but it escaped the mind of a young musician who sighed quietly, no longer having an argument to talk to her, which he had lost a long time ago. He knew that her behavior would eventually bounce back on her. He wanted to protect her from it, but she would not allow herself to be disentangled from all the mess she had fallen into. She had to give them hope that he would let them into his life.


	40. TOM 1— REBEL : 39 — YOU SET ME RULES, YOU ARE NOT THE MASTER OF MY LIFE, YOU HAVE LOST THIS RESPEKT

— I'm sick of this damned science now — she grumbled, grabbed the notebook on her lap, throwing it aside.  
A silent steak of pain spread across the room as a workbook filled with a lot of written formulas and notes made on neat and slightly colored sheets of paper, tense in a garnished notebook, landed on the stomach of a friend. He raised his head slightly, watching her every move. She strolled uneasily across the bright parquet floorboards, barely biting her clean nails. She glanced up at her hands, which had traces of the markers she used to catch important information in the textbook, highlighting them with a colored marker.  
Recently, the sadness turned into frustration and anger, when on her desk appeared next piles of notes with the most important information from read subjects, mathematical formulas or words of a foreign language, which they decided to take on the last tests. She probably made the easiest decision she could choose to pass the Spanish exam. Already in the language school did not cause her difficulties, and the accent on which she worked, he began to satisfy her much more than at the beginning. She was not afraid that she might not be able to speak Spanish, even under the influence of stress. The usual anxiety about not getting good grades ending the school was compounded by the constant news of her ex-boyfriend who did not allow himself to be forgotten. She tried to block him, but he found a way to break these security measures with pleasure to observe her lonely failure. In a fit of frustration and rage she completely changed the phone number. She remembered that day well.  
She then broke with Chester, from the moment he found the number of her ex-boyfriend on her phone, he tried to act on his own to find out who he was, but all the paths he took were causing him to go from the wrong direction, which irritated him extremely . He did not know her past, he did not know anything about her old self, now that he tried to somehow help her, it was reflected on him with double strength. She only waited for this moment, until she became angry and wanted to put her on the wall, but even then she had to lie to him and hide the truth. She told herself it was for his own good. She wanted to protect him and told herself that she was doing the right thing. However, how long can he escape from himself?  
She then ran out of the apartment to cool down after their little adventure, she was not surprised at all, when she heard the sound of the incoming call she saw on the display this hated sequence of numbers. Embittered and angry, she took a tiny card from inside the phone, broke it in half and threw it in the basket. She did not care that she would lose the entire list of contacts, for her own safety, everything was hidden in her notebook. Recovering friends' numbers did not make her difficult.  
From those times, she had relatively quiet with daily phone calls, which somehow calmed her down, but she was still aware that she could meet him in the least expected moment. He loved to sneak and appear in the most irrational moments.  
It did not escape Chester's mind, knowing his more interesting nature, of course, he asked what she did with these urgent connections, he received a surprisingly simple answer in the form of his sister's new phone number.  
— Excuse me — she said to the young man.  
He did not answer, he abandoned the teenager's textbook he kept, in which he read a very fascinating formula to describe the period of Romanticism in Europe. The book slipped from the soft down of the cushion on which she had been laid, falling into a small mess on a light bed. He defeated their distance to stand in front of her.  
— I'm tired and drained, you need to rest. You have not done anything other than what you are learning for two weeks — he put his hand gently on her arm, fearing that he might reject him.  
He did not expect her to react. He did not think that after the events of two months ago, in which she came back crying and shaken, she would let her touch again. They still did not know the reasons for her behavior, she had been struggling with it to this day, and they could only look helplessly, how she fought with herself, living in the darkness of her past what they could do?  
He had to admit to himself that he missed him when she hugged him, hiding his face in his arms. He was longing to touch her, he wanted every moment of their little intimacy, which just a few weeks ago was so close to them, and recent events completely removed them from each other. He could go so far as to say that he would not want to regain that peace while they sat together in the living room while Hurricane Irco was approaching the shores of Los Angeles, and they were forced to hide in the house. At that time, he lacked happiness. It did not matter, how long it lasted, seconds, hours or weeks, this girl restored him moments to show his empathy.  
Increasingly, he caught himself thinking that these innocent kisses, which were not meant to have any meaning at all, were something like a promise. Hope or smoldered in the recesses of their hearts, and only they only had a key to them.  
Was he in love with her? The negative narrative was the best term here. He was no longer able to treat her as an ordinary friend. The situation in recent weeks only allowed him to confirm his deep feelings about the girl. He had to change the content of the words he said. He was not attracted to her, he loved her. To think that it might seem absurd to love a girl he knew only a few months, but the moments he spent with her made him confident that he had made the right decision not to give up his love for an eighteen-year-old. She was everything he could imagine for him. Though their accounts were purely friendly, his attitude, behavior and even brief conversations made him dream of pure breezes for the following nights. A look that he loved so much! He wanted to go back to the moment he lived with her for those few weeks of his friend's absence. Both of them felt comfortable with each other, moments when he came back from the studio and met her were something that really filled him completely. Film evenings that they set up did not bring in much, but he wanted to fall asleep next to her, even with a stupid romantic commode, to reprimand her the next day that he missed the most interesting parts of the film.  
— I can not understand! — her urgent tone tore him from meditation — The day after tomorrow there are exams, and I still can not do anything — he saw panic in her eyes.  
— Stress will not help you! — he pushed her away slightly, delicately taking her chin —I think I have to help you, get rid of this intrusive friend — he laughed softly.  
She frowned slightly, closing her eyelids gently, he could say that it looked lovely.  
— What do you mean?  
— Sit down and do not even dare open my books he ordered, seating her on the couch. "I'll be right back.  
Before she could make any attempt to resist or stop him, he disappeared behind the bright door of her bedroom. She sighed quietly, wondering what he could come up with. She jumped up from the seat, coming to the bed where she left all her books and notebooks. She did not want to annoy him very much, but the awareness that in two days she would experience the most important moments of her eighteen-year-old life, checking her stressed knowledge and giving or taking away opportunities for further education, for which she had not seen the future, he was terribly worried about her. She did not feel that pressure even before driving tests, which in hindsight seemed trivial to her. She closed the nearby workbook with notes, inserting it between the pages of one of the volumes. She pushed everything aside, with a slight whimper she fell on a warm warmth bathed in a light warmth. She murmured, softly content when her eyelids fell down.  
— I did not think you were murmuring so nicely.  
In an instant she felt like sinking in the floor as the scarlet of red wrapped her pale cheeks. She scolded in her thoughts that her weaknesses had been hidden so far. Nobody knew about it, and she did not want to share it. She was terribly ashamed when she felt the mattress bend over her, and she wanted to run away when she felt the subtle touch of her hand on her back. But she did not have the courage to move away. Uncertainly she turned away, meeting with a laughing dark look, grabbing a scrap of a nearby pillow, grasping it in her hand, and with all her strength shoved it across her face. She expected her to gnaw at her, but he only threw her weapon away and found himself dangerously close to her. He placed his hands beside her shoulders, looking down at her.  
She felt strangely and in no way uncomfortable, her natural reaction should be to escape, considering such a significant closeness with a man after her former boyfriend treated her about two months ago, but there was something else in it. She felt calm, at any moment when he was even with her, his presence was encouraging when she finally found herself in her brother's arms as he tried to calm her down. She could say boldly that she felt safe with him. She did not care if Clark could get her or change her life into a real nightmare. It did not matter to her when she had Michael with her. With him, she managed to forget about what tormented her since the beginning of this year. She could then be her old self. Not a frightened teenager who is afraid that her ex-partner will attack her somewhere in the park, to drag her to a street filled with some kind of smell.  
— Will you do it again?  
His question knocked her off balance. She looked at him, slightly dazed, and her voice trembled when she was able to say even one word:  
— No — she said uneasily, but her tone was palpable in her voice.  
— Please, I will not beg you for anything more — he stared at her with his intense gaze, from which he slowly began to lose his breath.  
— Do not even think about it…  
— Why, I would not think about it — he said.  
She was not sure when, he was only a short distance, she felt his warm breath on his face, she knew what she was going to do, somehow did not bother her, she wanted her more, but on the other hand, she was treading on uncertain ground, because really How would she receive their passionate caresses or very close contacts. She knew how she treated them, but she was not sure whether those moments of passion meant something to him. On the one hand, she wanted to know, but on the other she liked this life of uncertainty and blissful ignorance. Lack of awareness about the feelings of the other person made it more exciting for her, she loved the intensity of their little sinners. Maybe she behaved completely differently than the other girls, but telling the truth about her feelings once failed. Fear that she did not want to repeat it meant that life in the unconscious was what she really wanted at the moment.  
— You should never know about it — she murmured after the deep silence that had fallen.  
— I have a completely different opinion — She could almost taste his lips on her lips.  
— I do not think you'll kiss me just because I do not want to... — he would not even let her finish his thoughts.  
In coming up with what the new vulgarisms that smoldered in her mind, driven by the subtlety of his hot lips, she closed her eyes, giving in. She kept telling herself how much she hated him, for what state she was bringing her. One moment, one gesture, and made her thoughts fly into space in the distance. She put her hands to his exposed neck, wanting to remember again the definition of touch, which she still forgot. She ran her hand over the bright bedding, trying to find his hand, her initial attempts turned out to be futile, she did not give up, but when she finally could capture the tips of his fingers. She felt a smile that crept onto his lips, which made her laugh. She caught his hand, squeezing her tightly. She missed her for the last weeks. Calm and awareness that she has someone on her who she cares about. Absorbed in her thoughts, she did not manage to stop when a quiet growl of satisfaction left her lips, which was enough to please the man who was over her.  
— You see I won! He said after a moment, moving away from her slightly drier mouth.  
— Oh no! — she moaned in resignation — I hate you Shinoda! You use effectively that I can not be indifferent to your kisses... — She paused in half a word, realizing what she had just said.  
She cursed quietly, but a gentle smile lit her lips, which only made the young musician feel confident that he was not indifferent to her.  
— Okay, will you tell me what you planned there? — common sense came back to her again.  
— And it was so nice — he muttered quietly under his breath, unfortunately she was not able to hear it anymore.  
He immediately straightened up, then apologized again and left the bedroom. She did not wait for him long when he came back carrying a mug with a steaming substance and a large bowl of ice cream. He sat on the edge of the mattress, and she noticed a fairly large portion of sweet delirious sweets. Light balls of vanilla flavor, mixed with a bit of dark, in which pieces of the cake were stuck, decorated with a bit of whipped cream and two pieces of cut wafers covered with a portion of small chocolate.  
— You want me to put on weight before the exams and not fit in the dress — she complained when the decorated glass was pressed into her hand.  
— Do not overdo it, we know well that you do not have a problem — he replied with lightness leaning against the frame of the bed.  
She murmured something under her breath, then asked him to come closer to her, which he gladly used when she let him cuddle her again this afternoon. She felt then that she needed such a day without worries, multiplication problems, or worried about what would happen tomorrow. Mike let her forget, gave her a chance to catch a deep breath for a moment, and calmly fall into the arms of her old life. A moment when the message of the past was not hanging over her.

She wandered through the corridor completely nervous, repeating the same rules, not to forget them before entering the rooms, her friends did not look any better. Tired of shadows under the eyes, reading the last notes in a hurry. She had to admit that the last two days in which she could de-stress thanks to the help of a friend would allow her to come to school calmly, but when she stood in front of the hall where she was about to take her life exam, stress return and she thinks she will not be able to . She looked at Selene and Brandon sitting in the corner, questioning each other on the last issues, standing near Marinette, she started to panic and Adrien, who stood by her, tried to comfort her, but he was in vain. The calmest ones were Alex and Emily, along with their other half, sat and chatted calmly. The rest of the students discussed quietly or in silence while preparing themselves mentally for what was to come. At last the gymnasium door opened and the school headmaster stood in them inviting them inside. Anxiously, they entered the huge room that was filled with one-person benches. She took one of the seats, not even paying attention to where her friends sat. After a brief speech from the head of the exam subject, who explained them to the rules, they took up their work. She opened her sheet by entering her personal data on the first page, and then she turned the heels of a sheet of paper together, looking at the fragment of the text to which the questions were arranged. The corner of her lips grew slightly when she saw the familiar text of the romantic novel she liked so much about the love of two young people. Stress and anxiety completely left her when she began to read the subject part of the novel, focusing on writing the whole test.  
Three hours later, after making sure that everything she wanted was corrected, and the study did not have any mistakes, she left her bench as quietly as possible in order not to disturb her classmates. The quiet clatter of her heels reflected on the walls of the hall, she laid her sheet on the navy blue tablecloth where the members of the pedagogical council of selected schools sat. She only nodded her head, only confirming that she was ready and leaving the school walls indefinitely.  
— How did it go? — Chester asked as she entered the apartment.  
She took off her dark jacket, laying her on the couch's back, then sat down on a bar stool, pouring lemonade frozen into a glass.  
— I will not say it was terrible. They chose a piece of reading that I enjoyed with pleasure — seeing his questioning gaze, she sighed quietly, sipping a drink of cold drink — Dali Romeo and Julia — she explained.  
— It's much better than what I had.  
— What did they give you? — she got interested by jumping down from the seat.  
She took a fruit salad from the inside of the fridge, which she did not want to eat out of her lack of appetite, climbed onto the counter, opening the lid of the container, asking Chester to give her a fork.  
— Do not ask me about such things sister. It was ten years ago, I do not remember what I was doing last week — he said with a slightly indignant voice, but after a moment their laughter.  
— Scandal, not to remember your own matura — she replied, amused, swallowing a piece of orange.  
She tried to sound harsh, but it was not possible.  
— It'll be fine if I remember my wedding after five years — he added with a sneer.  
— You married and you did not tell me anything — she muttered, aiming at him, caressing him.  
— Vegas can do wonders — he laughed.  
— In that case, when will I meet these two other half?  
They lacked such a calm atmosphere and willingness to joke, what they both liked so much, the penultimate weeks went into oblivion, when the problems gave themselves to know, and the fate did not let them live longer in peace. Life, however, is not a colorful fairy tale in which there are no problems or worries, they had to deal with the realities of this world.

She stood in front of the huge mirror in her wardrobe, nervously adjusting the emerald toga that she put on her shoulders. Today the graduation ceremony took place. She could not believe she would learn how her final exams went. She felt a kind of nostalgia. In the end it was the last day of life, in which she did not have to worry about anything, she did the truth to be like her peers, but she survived not one in her teenage life. The term adult life was associated from the moment she was thirteen, then she had to start thinking about herself and how to deal with the world around her. She was prepared with a clash with life, in which she had to make important decisions knowing that each has its consequences, it made her stand out from the crowd of her peers who still lived in dreams. She, though she hid her desires in the heart, stomped hard on the ground.  
She sighed quietly, putting on her cap, looking at her reflection for the last time. It's time to say goodbye to high school. Together with friends, they promised themselves that they would not lose contact with each other. It was common knowledge that friendships after high school break up, they hoped that their common adventure would not end yet.  
She left the room, leaving Junka lying on her bed and stepping down. She stopped at the last step when she was suddenly overcome by uncertainty. A strange feeling was knocking in her breast. There was no reason to worry about anything, right? It's just a silly few minutes of the lady director's speech and giving away the testimonies, she should not be nervous.  
— What is?  
She raised her head when she heard Elder Bennington's soft voice. She looked at his warm brown irises, tried to smile, but did not achieve the intended purpose, when on her lips appeared a grimace as if disappointment.  
— Nothing, it feels strange ending high school — she explained.  
— It's time to grow up — he answered only.  
— You cheered me up great — she replied with a sneer as she descended cautiously on the planks of the dance floor.  
It was her quiet sigh that counted on him to be caught, but nothing like that happened. He only grabbed the keys on the table, then left the flat. She remembered her first day at school, then he took her back to the school building, and now they were to go to the graduation academy together. She could not believe that the time had passed so quickly, as if she remembered yesterday how she met the eternally chattering Selena who helped her get her way to her locker, and now this girl was planning to go to Milan to study with her friend Marinette. Both, to their surprise, applied to the same university and hoped to get it. She wished them with all my heart that they would make their dreams come true. Adrien and Brandon decided to stay in the States. Young Agreste was to go to law school, which did not satisfy his parents, who hoped that his son would take over the fashion empire, they hoped that their would-be daughter-in-law Marinette, whom Emilia announced, would take control of the company if her only son decided for a wedding with a young French. She did not know the plans of the boy Adams, they did not have too close contacts, somehow they did not like each other. Aleksnadra, shortly after publishing her own book, signed a contract with the publisher on fairly good terms, and for the next few years had to publish her own books, her boyfriend decided to go to justice and sign up for a police school, he also wanted to follow his father who he was one of the best commissioners in Los Angeles. She did not know the plans of Emily and Nathan yet, they said that just after getting the certificates they were hitchhiking. They wanted to travel to around the world, they were not sure if they would go to any university, they wanted to live an adventure.  
She made the decision, which did not please her brother or Michael, who regretted that she gave up her artistic studies. He tried to persuade her to change her mind, but that was her final opinion. She had no reason to think about the future, since she might lose this opportunity at the hands of the one she had once been fond of.  
They stood in a parking lot filled with parents' cars and last year's pupils. She straightened the fabric on her knees, because she left the car, going slowly to the singer.  
She entered the familiar walls of the high school for the last time, which filled her with many memories, a shared breakfast with friends filled with laughter, joint jokes on teachers or friends, quarrels with April, which now seemed to her as childish behavior. Lessons with favorite professors. Classes in the school theater, when earlier having to play with Adrien adaptations of Shakespeare's art, led her to a real fury with these his own texts, then this competition turned into a friendship she did not regret. The blond was her support for the last time and he could forget about his cheap pickup and stupid texts that he really regretted.  
A great time that has already passed.  
— You will believe, in a moment we will officially end school.  
A group of her friends walked towards them, all dressed in the same togas with a smile painted on their faces, but my eyes betrayed that I was a little sorry that they would have to separate and go their own way.  
— I never thought I would say that — she said as she stood next to them — But I will miss April and her licks.  
Her last words brought out a burst of joy, thereby loosening the somewhat tense atmosphere.  
— What are your plans for the future? — Selena asked her.  
She had no heart to say earlier that she did not intend to submit papers to her dream university. A lot has changed, which forced her to resign from further education, come and regret it every day, does not show it. She had to deal with Clark first, then if she could survive without harm, she would still wonder what to do next.  
— He is not planning anything yet — she confessed.  
— What about studies? — Alex suddenly interjected.  
— Nothing. I do not apply and I would not get it anyway — she confessed.  
She saw a stir among them, but she did not pay attention to it.  
— Are you sure? — Marinette demanded.  
— Yes.  
It was not possible to talk to them anymore when one of the students from the parallel class ran up to them and told them to hurry up. They reluctantly went to the auditorium prepared for the school. They chose the ceremonies organized in the open air. They took their place when their director entered the stage. She asked for silence, then spoke a few words to the educators and then turned to the students finishing school, wishing them good luck and happiness on the way, and to mention some funny anecdotes with the participation of third graders.  
The time has finally come to hand out diplomas. An elderly woman began to read the names from the letter she had put together on the stand. Each person was guilty with warm applause, and those more remembered with loud applause.  
She was not held long in suspense when her dark-haired friend picked up a small bundle, after a few people from parallel years. She waited until two more people appeared on the stage, and then the director's voice reached her ears:  
— Bennington Julia.  
On unsteady legs, she stopped at the beginning of the government in which she sat with her friends, then climbed the wooden stairs, she entered the platform. She approached the headmistress who was holding her testimony in her hand. She held out her hand, which she accepted and gave her a firm hug, tilted her head slightly, finding Chester's gaze. She saw her thumbs up as soon as he felt her look at her. He was smiling broadly, which moved her heart. She always thought that the final ceremony would be to survive alone, without any family, like nothing, yet. Fate, however, smiled at her. She clenched her hands on the ruler, which the headmistress handed to her, then cautiously descended from the stage, finding her former place. As soon as she sat Adrien, who was sitting next to her, he pulled out a tight fist to her, giving her a sign that she would bring him a high five, which of course she used with pleasure and the corner of her mouth rose up.  
The ceremony came to an end some hour later, along with his friends, they said together that they wanted to immortalize their last moments in high school. He will ask his parents to wait for them, and they will go to a safe distance to take a photo session. They did not make them difficult when they were doing them in pairs or small groups, but when they wanted to immortalize their group themselves, they had little difficulty.  
— Maybe we'll ask someone — Emily said, watching their parents discuss things with something.  
— I know! — Selena suddenly shouted.  
Before they could look around, she came back, dragging her friend's brother behind her, who was slightly confused. She raised her hands in a defensive gesture as soon as she felt his gaze on her.  
— What is going on? — Chester asked, glancing at Adams.  
Brunette quickly explained to him what the problem was when he found out about their little trouble, he just laughed and took the camera from Aaron's hands. Now they were able to encompass objective karma. They posed for different shots, where they were more entertaining, they fell into a reverie or played with secret agents from the covers of spy movies. Half an hour later, there was a sad farewell time that nobody wanted. They just walked away smiling, assuring themselves that they are not going to part. When she left the school for the last time, she heard young Adams calling for her to come to her farewell party today.  
— This is the end — she said as she climbed into the opened car.  
— How do you feel with it? — the musician asked her.  
She could not determine exactly how she felt. She was neither sad nor happy. She felt some kind of relief, but her heart was hidden by a strange sadness, a gentle stab wound her when she left the high school walls with which she had come to life.  
She met here wonderful friends with whom she hoped to keep in touch. She remembered every moment spent here, even those that made her unhappy. She knew she would miss it.


	41. TOM 1— REBEL : 40 —   HAPPINESS ON A SCRAP OF PHOTOGRAPHY

He folded a bright piece of paper in half-printed computer print. The pile of documents was abandoned on a table at a nursery. He rested his hand on his knee, throwing another one behind a laminated colorful brochure, advertising some garden tools, the household appliances highlighted in the pictures tempted to get into the car and go to a nearby supermarket. A cheap marketing gimmick that will sell easily. He could barely suppress the growing yawn, he sighed quietly, putting aside the letter he was about to tear.  
He sighed heavily, staring at the small pile of pages on the table. He was only a week away, and it was enough that his mailbox was bursting with the amount of correspondence. Seeing the pile of unnecessary shimmering pages with offers, he wanted to get rid of this. But something caught his attention. He moved the stack of ads aside. At the bottom lay a fairly large gray envelope, it was almost full to the brim with something filled with some content. He uncertainly grabbed her, expecting everything, he turned her over to the other side, hoping to find the addressee of this strange correspondence, but the field was empty, without a name or street name. He was apprehensive as he watched his place of residence, which was set in the bottom of a slightly gray envelope.  
It seemed really strange to him. The feelings that were in his heart did not satisfy him at all, whether they brought joy or even filled him with fears. He felt uneasy about tearing the paper and getting to know the content that is contained in it. Maybe he was oversensitive, but what else could he get outside the lists he'd already seen? He turned the envelope back on the sealed envelope to get to know the recipient, but what surprised him was an empty box. Everyone in his place felt worried if he did not even see the seal with the number of the establishment or the name of his correspondent written in dark ink, but there was nothing contained here. He grabbed the handle of the black knife, which almost blended with the dark texture of the piece of furniture on which he was placed. He ripped the tight cardboard, and then a few photographs flew out on his legs and folded in half. It became more and more strange, he caught the photo lying on the stack between his fingers, lifting it up.  
He stared at the slight stupefaction on the card, which was supposed to preserve the memory of a certain night of sleep. The darkness of the nightclub was illuminated by the flashing lamps, but what surprised him the most was a group of men. They looked like those who did not feel safe, and could even go so far as to say that by taking something more important than human dignity. Well-built gangsters with shaven heads were sitting on leather sofas. Their eyes were hidden behind dark glasses that were not necessary in a dingy room, but they wanted to arouse fear. The leather jackets looked at their muscular arms, hiding fragments of chains that hung from their necks. However, what drew the most attention was the girl in very scant underwear. The red of her outfit could have been very appealing, but the longer he looked at this photograph, he only felt disgust. He looked closely at her figure. She looked very young, would not give her twenty years. Dark hair glittered with red reflections, which seemed familiar to him. However, he could not take a closer look at the face she had hidden.  
— What is going on here? — he asked himself.  
He reached for a piece of paper delivered to the pictures. He unfolded it slightly, seeing the text written in a rush with a very awkward script, he could hardly read the following words:

She was not always such a cuddly girl!  
I do not want to disappoint you, but your little friend will finally leave you.  
Just one number and you will be deprived of everything you have!  
Behind the mask of an innocent teenager lies a rag, for which only the bed and money count.  
Julia Bennington has always been a slut, and here you have proof.

He did not even have time to react or express his rage at such a heartless lie about this girl, when suddenly a quiet melody, a door bell, went out all over the apartment. The sleeping husky on one of the armchairs so far raised his head, barking somewhat angry that he was bothering him in the afternoon nap. He rose from the soft couch, then silencing Jay. He crossed the corridor, reaching the door. He still unconsciously clenched his fingers on the photograph of a half-naked teenager in the embrace of a muscle man, a short message that had only been read a few moments before, fluttering gently as he hurried across the hall.  
He pressed the latch to see who was standing on the threshold of the dark wing.  
He almost choked with air, seeing the familiar figure of the girl. The shadow of a smile that had crept onto his lips would quickly settle as soon as he saw her condition. She stood on lightly tearing legs, clutching her arm, blind eyes, staring at him. What hurt the most was the lack of any feelings that filled that bright look. The emptiness that enveloped her, her pale complexion, she had completely lost her color. Earlier, tangled hair in braids, now lost the splendor of the old hairstyle, when the strands fell out of the tied pony. Dressed in a regular sweatshirt and pants. She glanced stealthily at the photos he was holding.  
— What happened? — he asked quietly, and she raised her head.  
She did not have the courage to speak, she felt as if she had lost her voice for a moment, as if the fate would effectively deprive her of the chance of explanation. She trembled at the thought that she had decided to come to him, just after the next meeting with her former partner, who, as always, was not calm. She felt the medicine every time she saw him standing by a dingy street or leaning nonchalantly against the root of a tree, he was so carefree with a slight smile on his face, he did not arouse any suspicion in anyone. It did not escape her attention today during their next argument that several girls became interested in him. He could attract attention, charm with his person, arouse curiosity. Nobody, however, knew his true nature. A young man of a possessive nature who derives real satisfaction from humiliating his ex-girlfriend.  
Lonely trickles of her own humiliation were hidden in the shadow of her blue eyes, but none of them found her way through her slightly pale cheeks. Her skin was terribly bright anyway, but with every encounter with her ex-partner she lost that glow. They did not see in it an eternally laughing teenager who managed to forget about problems, enjoying her new life. She disappeared. She left when he appeared! She could not live with the thought that her life was slowly turning into a nightmare. Demon return to the past when there was a great deal of hope that the only thing that will have to do is pass the studies, and the stress associated with waiting for a letter from the university, which probably will not receive. She had lost faith that she could succeed, that she could move, the proverbial mountains. One tiny mistake made her now fear her future.  
— I'm sorry — she mumbled, feeling the salty taste of her bitter thoughts that were slowly rolling on her pale cheeks.  
She saw his silent question and, indeed, surprised by the look on her face, she gathered in herself that the stream of her last words would barely run through her throat.  
— Forgive me for meeting me.  
She tried many times, to get rid of the sympathy for the young musician, but she could not or could not. She understood over time that one way to go is to leave. Run away from those passionate eyes that she loved so much. She spat in her face that he could easily decipher it like an enigma code. She believed that no one would know her true face, but she herself gave access to a solution that he used with ease.  
She looked at him for the last time. She had regretted it now, but she had no choice but the moment she had been thinking about for days when her dreams were awake.  
He turned and the shadow of resentment ran in the dim glow of her bright gaze. She could not even take a step when she felt a familiar touch. She closed her eyes as a shadow of sadness and joy ran through her body. She was afraid of her eyes, afraid of his dark gaze.  
— Do not try it.  
A firm but subtle voice knocked her out of her deep melancholy. She stared at the cobblestone driveway to the apartment, darting at the thought that she had to see disappointment and disappointment, that she was so afraid of those that had accompanied her for most of her life. Familiar smile of someone's disgust.  
Her body refused to obey her, paralyzed her with something like fear and anxiety when she felt such a familiar embrace. Bloody eyes stared at his face. However, she did not see anything that could disappoint her or disappoint her, she saw nothing but untroubled concern. She could distinguish whether someone was hypocritical and insincere as to their intentions about her, or was someone concerned about her feeling of well-being.  
In an instant she wanted to shout to him everything that was sitting in it. What has been tormenting her for almost three months, why she became a touchy teenager from a peaceful girl, even a tiny rustle. But she did not have the courage to say anything, because what were they supposed to say? She came to him unexpectedly wanting to see him for the last time and say goodbye, but the longer she stood before him, she could not. She did not want to.  
She wanted to fall asleep cuddled into his arms and throw away all disturbing thoughts, the specters of the past or the threats of her former partner. She needed help, but she could not ask for it. She had been effectively unlearned, for years of living alone, where she had nobody to count on. Now she had people close to her, but she was a problem because she did not manage to make a silent plea.  
— Do not even count on letting me leave the little one.  
She suppressed the urge to surprise the question that was pressing on her lips, but she felt the inertia again. She got in the last of her strength, speaking through her throat.  
— You must — she said, as he gently brushed the tear from her hecek —I will only make you unhappy with my presence — she said with great difficulty, but with self—control that was surprising even for her.  
— You'll only disappoint me when you run away. Let me finally help you.  
She heard the words almost every day, from the memorable moment when her meeting with Kent ended up crying until late at night and the next bouts of hysteria she could not control. He's working on it. Panicking, she was afraid that she would discover her the greatest secret and use it effectively against her.  
— Mike ...  
She lost the last layers of her acting skills. She clung to him, she could not stand it, she could not help thinking that she could keep it so selfishly, leaving, knowing that in this way she would not help herself, but would hurt her more, which would drive her mad. She pushed herself to the very bottom of a dark bottomless crater. The lack of land that frightened her.  
She squeezed her cheek against his collarbone, letting a tear flow on its own. She no longer had the strength to pretend that everything was good, because everyone knew perfectly the truth that she was falling out of their eyes day by day, and they were helpless to help her. At last she had to gather up the courage to revive that self-confidence that went missing along the way, to feed her again with hope that she would go through the path of fate with her forehead raised.  
She was not aware when she sat on a dark leather couch. She could hear the noise in the distance, which she did not want to recognize. Salty drops of water blurred her vision a bit. She barely wiped the flowing tears of water, staring at the bright fluffy rug, unexpectedly felt two paws on her thighs. Jay hugged her face to her cheeks, trying to wipe away the dripping water from her bright look. Silent laughter fled from her chest as the dog barked softly, as if he were unaware of her feeling of being unwell. He jumped one step onto the sofa to put his head on her lap, as if to help her. Seeing how it helps his master, he wanted to do it with his good friend. Dogs are the kindest animals she has ever met. She scratched at the husky behind her ears, and then, in the eyes of her, he threw a photograph dropped on a light material. She rubbed her eyes to look closer, she should not do it. She should not look at the correspondence of her friend, but she was surprised that the photos had been thrown on the fluffy carpet, as if forgotten or rejected in a fit of frustration.  
She reached for it carefully. Shimmering sheets of paper almost burned her fingers as she looked through the shots of the late night club Pheonix, so well known under cover of the night of young people who wanted fast money for girls who were working on fake bargain or waiter contracts. She did not know the details more closely, but being with her old roommates and her intelligent friend who lived at the expense of rich, full-bodied men. The thought that they had once offered her such a life shuddered. Disgusting.  
— Julia?  
She raised her head and several photos fell out of her hands, suppressed a cry full of terror. The last photo she held between her fingers showed the girl a very scant underwear, which did not cover too much, she could even say that she was more exposed than she was covering the intimate parts of the female body. She clenched her hands in the gloved hands of her hands on a metal tube, the red glow of the hanging lamps wrapped around the dancing young prostitute.  
She noticed him, he was standing in front of her, holding a mug of steaming drink in his hands.  
— I'm sorry — she stammered, setting aside a copy of the pictures.  
— There's no reason to apologie — he said as he sat on the edge of the sofa, handing her a cup of green tea.  
There was a moment of silent silence between them, interrupted only by a slightly loud breath of the pet's pet Michael, who was happy to find a place on his teens' thighs. Immersed in their own thoughts, they did not know how to start a further conversation, whether to even raise the issue of Lisa's memorabilia she spotted during the hot nights, or bypassing it with a wide arc, but there must have been a second bottom, since this photograph was with Michael. She was full of the worst fears.  
— Where did you get these photos from? — She asked as she took a sip of green tea.  
He hesitated for a moment or to give her worries, and so for the last weeks she was still living in eternal uncertainty and fear. Was it necessary to worry her with this senseless anonymus that would discourage him from her? The sender, however, miscalculated, as he could believe in a crap of nonsense to a person who did not even have the courage to reveal his name. A regrettable behavior. He sighed quietly. He was always honest with her, his heart would bleed if he lied to her. He knew her attitude to people who conceal the truth, sometimes it upset him that he did not know anything about her. However, looking at her attitude in the face of the last week, he understood how much she was afraid of her memories.  
— Someone sent it to me, with handwritten annotation — explaining calmly — I will not tell you who it was, because I did not even sign it.  
He uncomfortably took a bent scrap of paper from the inside of his sweatshirt. He spread it out, saw him take his hand to catch the card. She clenched her fingers on the message, putting it down carefully on the edge of the wooden counter. She traced the text with a look, and her earlier pale face froze with nervousness. Rage, which spread in her body, intensified the sadness accumulated so far. She squeezed her hand, tearing the paper with information. She knew the writing too well to mistake it for someone else and did not know it for a few years, she met him at the other end of the world.  
— You believed it — her quiet question was almost like a statement she was sure of.  
She knew well how clever he could manipulate people, turned himself around his finger just to believe him. He had this extraordinary gift of persuasion that could be envied by not one politician. He has already scared one of her partners, it will easily be done now on the man she cares about.  
— Are you crazy?  
Her heart beat faster, she was terrified when she imagined the next minutes filled with screams and insults directed at her. She should take it with calm as always, put on a perfect mask of indifference, to almost reject, like a shield, everything that hurts her. But no one knew her enough to know that every bad word hurts more than a pierced arrow with poison in her sore heart.  
She gathered her courage, raised her eyes uncertainly, staring deeply into his dark gaze with unconcealed anxiety. A soft smile lit his lips as he saw uncertainty.  
— Julia, I'm not blind — he said with such calmness that she would not suspect him.  
A moment ago he got the proof that his friend had connections with the world of prostitution in the past. She did not even say a word to defend herself, because she did not really have anything, but she was afraid that he could believe it.  
— Using Photoshop to inadvertently change the color of the eyes and the features of this girl's face to perfectly fit you, I will not say it was a way worthy of praise but inept. He was supposed to make me believe that you slept with these men in the past and you took the money for it — he took her hands in a warm embrace — I would have to be really a moron to believe it — she jerked her head when suddenly she filled her with hope — Julio, I know you from over a year. Do you think I would give faith in these useless photos? — he gave a sharp look at the photo lying on the carpet — You can see that they have been converted quickly, the message is delineated, with no specific purpose. As if it were a child. I know you baby too well. I remember exactly the first days you moved to Los Angeles and when I had the pleasure of meeting you. You were even afraid to give up, I saw you afraid. Would you behave like this if you had days behind you in a club with dancers dancing with other guys.  
She stared at him, her eyes sparkling with lively fire, as if she had gained faith again that someone had met her and his useless attempts to quarrel with her beloved one. She did not expect any further words that made her stunned.  
— I believe a girl who I loved. No other idiot will take away my faith in me through stupid photo montages.  
Speechless.  
She did not know what to say. She sat dazed, staring at him, and the content of his last words echoed in her mind. She knew that she was not indifferent to him, but she never thought she would be able to love her. Her love was going to be reciprocated? Is this how it should look its further path? She should be happy, but she felt her body numb, and the cruel hands of fate pluck the voice he threw on the pile of waste, recognizing that it was unnecessary. She could still hear the obtrusive voice that was drilling a hole in her brain, repeating that it was not worth it. Confusion began to overwhelm her. A moment ago she got the proof of love, but she was not even able to say the same words. Fear effectively blocked her. Here we go again. She was afraid of her feelings. Sometimes she wondered if a day would come when he would not be afraid to tell someone that he loved him. Even to her brother, she could not say how grateful she was to him for months of selfless brotherly love.

She clenched her shoulders tightly as the unpleasant chill ran through her body. She looked around in the semi-darkness, which was bathed in a huge room. The small blouse she wore did not make her feel warm and warm, she still felt the nasty chills of cold, she sat huddled against the dingy wall in the abandoned tool factory. There was still a smell of grease and chemicals. She, however, is used to this fragrance. She managed to control her retching when she smelled musty. Dead rats lying in the corners of the huge hall made her look disgusted. However, she did not know how she found herself in this factory ruined by the years. She was not aware that another day was passing, from the moment she escaped from the house under the cover of the night.  
She left everything, took nothing with her. An abandoned phone on a bright bed bed was calling once again when her friends who were worried about her disappearance tried to call her. She did not have the strength to translate. She remembered the evening well, in which she went under pressure again to leave the walls of the house. It works like an amok. She did not know how her was her new number, but this time he took a step too far with his threats when he began to suggest her non-polar proposals and the desire to repeat their meeting three months ago. She ran away almost crying, not even leaving a message. She felt so frightened that she could not think rationally, she did not want him to find her new address. He could freely overlap and, in the worst case, fulfill one of his morally harmful content.  
A violent sob shook her body as she remembered the text of one of the messages. He wrote in detail, as if to play with it, how to dare to describe it, dreaming its later dreams, its slow but drastic death. She did not understand why this boy hates her so much. She knelt to herself that she did not see him as a sadistic, possessive son of a bitch, who enjoyed looking at her pain. It was destroying her. Instead of happily living alongside the man who loves her, she must have gone to the center of Los Angeles to get away, even though here in the sprawling production hall, she might feel safe in some way. But how could she feel some kind of a feeling of this feeling when she was away outside the city limits. How did she get here? Until now, she wondered how she found this dingy place in such a short time.  
Days passed, she did not count them anymore. She became a ghost now. Her complexion was much gray, her cheeks collapsed, and the hunger and satiety that had bothered her for several days tried to forget about them. She did not look good at all. Torn in several places, the clothes did not look freshly washed. However, they did not have any blood on them. She did not cut herself, she never did. She did not think that it could somehow cover up her mental pain. She was not desperate teenagers who would relieve suffering, reach for a razor blade. She preferred to experience it in her own world, despite the fact that she was destroying the psyche, she could not cope with wounds on her wrists or arms, it reminded her every time she was mindless doing things to forget for a moment about the weight with which she lived .  
The shadows of the night were torn by the glow of blue and red lights.  
She knew the flash too well.  
The sound of loud conversations and the crack of the police door was a clear sign to her. She jumped up from the floor, wanting to escape. She staggered dangerously when she felt nauseated. She ignored it, looked around in panic, looking for a way out. They could not find her here. Earlier she would allow it, but now she had to do anything to prevent the cops from reaching her. She rushed to the rear of the factory, which she had met a little before those few days. Unfortunately, the walls did not muffle her steps, they strengthened them more. She panicked when the clatter of conversation reached her.  
— Someone is tere — said the man's voice.  
Not thinking much, she pushed another door as several officers with pistols at the ready ran into the room. She slammed the heavy olive door behind her, and the last words came to her ears as she broke through the thicket of corridors to the other side of the building.  
— Bet the second entrance!  
She stumbled to the back of the factory on shaky legs, pushed the slightly groaning wing. She was unlucky when she caught some policewomen in her arms. She shouted panicked as the woman clenched her hands on her shoulders.  
— We've got her — she said to the radio, which she took out for her bosom.  
She tried to break free, move away from the aspirant, but she only shook her head saying that she would not be able to escape. They thought she was a minor, they did not give her a chance to explain. In silence they reached the front, where several police cars stood, not counting even the officers who were betting the main entrance. She sighed softly, rubbing her hands against her shoulders as she felt the chill of May night. She did not feel that way in a closed room, but now she felt the low temperature at the court.  
— What is your name? — asked the aspirant who stopped her.  
One of the young policemen threw a warm blanket over her frozen shoulders, which he took out of the car. Over the years, she learned that lying at the police did not work. It did not make sense to hide her real name. What could they do to her? In the light of the law, she was an adult and did not contribute to any criminal to keep her.  
— Julia Bennington — she replied as she sat on the edge of one of the armchairs.  
— Bennington — the Commissioner looked intently at his partner— We have not received an accident report about the missing girl with that name?  
She raised her head, staring at the man in astonishment. So her brother reported her escape to the police. She did not blame him, he worried about her, but the whole event should never happen. She should not be caught by police officers and return home when she was ready for it.  
She did not listen to the conversation of investigators who were making sure about the earlier notification. After long minutes, which were an eternity for them, they set off on their return journey.  
She was afraid of the moment she stood before her brother. She did not know what to tell him how to behave. He was aware that she had run away earlier, but he never learned what it was like besides this memorable day after the rumors where she did not return home for the night without letting him know that he was not worried about her. Now he felt it more.  
The hour of the road passed her surprisingly quickly as the police car rode up the cobblestone driveway of Bennington's property. During the road, the remaining vehicles separated from them. She stayed only in the car with Charlotte's aspirin as she could hear and her partner Commissar Claus.  
— Get out — he ordered uniformly when the car's engine went out.  
With her heart piercing in her chest, she left the warm interior of the car, stumbling around behind the policemen who moved forward proudly. The man with the commissar's sign knocked at the wooden door. The sound of fast footsteps broke the silence, and moments later the jaws of a twisting key in the castle.  
She cringed when she heard the beginning of the policemen's conversation with her brother. She stared without thinking into the dark tiles, from which the entrance to the flat was arranged, as if it was the most interesting thing that could happen to her. Unfortunately, she was quite violently torn out of her nostalgia.  
— Julia, have you lost anything?  
She did not even see the police drive away with a soft squeak of tires. Chester came up to her, his expression was a relief that he could see her whole and healthy.  
— You run away for five days, something you thought would help — his tone hovered with every word.  
— Do not yell at me! If I knew you would start yelling at me, I would do anything to talk to them. Your screams do not help me at all! — for the first time in many months she began to shout at him.  
She had had enough of her nasty life, and complaining to Elder Bennigton was the last thing she wanted to hear. She knew what she was doing and was aware that she had made a mistake, did not have to make her even more aware that her whole life was a band of lies and secrets.  
— You want to help me, just shut up!  
She felt even more pissed off than before. Frustrated and nervous, she ran home, wanting to be in her room as soon as possible. She slammed the bedroom door shut with a bang. She quickly took off her sweatshirt from her shoulders, throwing her into the corner. She immediately regretted that she had passed the threshold of her asylum when the ringing of her telephone rang. Full of anger, she grabbed the smartphone lying on the couch, regretting immediately that she looked at him. She threw a furiously white telephone at a nearby wall, suddenly the voice of notification fell silent as the battery flew out of the cell. She did not look to see if anything happened to the electronic gadget, she threw herself on the bed, cursing the bastard again.


	42. TOM 1— REBEL : 41 — I CAN'T HANDLE THIS

She could sneer at the thought of the endless land of her own fantasy, overwhelmed by the king of dreams. For her, in one of them were the next moments strewn with thorns of beautiful roses. The flower, which at the same time impresses with its luster, but its pricks are painful, causing them to prick up to scarlet blood, which slowly seeps through the pale skin of the hand, falling into the lush green of grass. Last days she felt exactly like a torn plant from the earth, deprived of water or the glare of sunlight that let her live, give this proverbial existence to which she was deprived. More and more often it behaved as a disembodied spirit, angling in a corner to experience some peace. She could not feel free in her own kingdom. The castle, which was grinned by the dragon like in a fairy tale about the garden, where the beautiful princess lives alone, for many years believes, imprisoned by her parents. She was a prisoner of her own soul, he was her guardian, the proverbial reptile breathing fire was her own body that thwarted, every form of escape from that which tormented her.  
She rolled restlessly to the other side, covering her face with her hands. She still wondered how it would end. The last time she paid almost her life the appearance of her former partner. She trembled at the thought that it would lead her to ruin.  
She choked on her own being, suffocated at the very thought of her own life, because what could she do. Did he manage to pull it all? She would be able to do it when she did not have people who wanted her good, she felt their support, which she could not refuse too long. She became attached to them, and that was one of her shortcomings. The past has left this flavor, that there was no reason for anyone to see her daily struggle that she led. She did not have to do it in front of the people she cared about. Now that she had gained something she could believe, she had the impression that she would not be able to.  
The quiet creaking of the door made her frightened to be frightened, but she did not dare look at him. She could not see anger, disappointment. She failed not only herself, he made her own profession. She clenched her hands on her knees, bringing her closer to her body.  
She did not cry because she did not have anything. She lost the last layers of colorful tears that were the mirror of our personality or soul that was smoldering in our hearts. She once heard that our feelings are alive in us, but could she respond to this? She could not admit that she had stopped believing in the wonder of these words because they seemed hypocritical to her. Pure lying. However, she did not want to disappoint those who reminded her of these devious words.  
— Why do not you want to talk with me?  
He senses his presence, he shakes his dark gaze in it, as if trying to read from it. He caught every way, but failure, instead of making him give up, they strengthened him in his convictions. He made a war with the cruel tentacles of fate about the most important person in his life, but more and more often he lost his position. He did not care about the next missiles flying towards him, he would fall, he would avoid them, not to feel a bleeding blow to his chest. He was a persistent soldier in the battle for human life.  
— You will know the truth that enslaved me and what will you do? You will not help me, you will not free me from this!  
He felt a mute surprise when her silent voice stunned his senses. He looked at her. She raised herself on her hands, turning to him. The applause in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a dull, penetrating silence that almost overwhelmed her. He loved the look of a girl who was forever bold, now he could not see even a bright spark.  
— You will make my destiny go away. Will you discourage my memory from me and, above all, free me from this monster?  
He could not understand the meaning of her last words, but she knew too well who she had called such a cruel synonym. Man has different characters, we get people on different personalities, but he was an exception that made even the bravest girl in the orphanage feel fear of him, even her tormenters, which she had to avoid, did not put her in the extreme like this young man. Signature of one of her worst hellish demons. He mocked his fate. He made a false impression, a nice young man, without problems, able to take possession of not one girl's heart, promising wonderful love. What did she receive? The first stage of paranoia in which she began to fall. She was afraid of even the darkest account of her bedroom. Full of cynicism, a steel-eyed boy mocking the fate of his fate. Gray, which she could not tolerate.  
— Perhaps the time has come for you to end up with this suffering alone. I'm not here just to annoy you all the time, lingering off the bed — he could see him lifting his head, but he could forget the glow of joy that was supposed to decorate her pale lips — Why do not you trust me?  
Her last words hurt her, she was so afraid to hear them. She clenched her fingers on the dark pillow she held in her thighs, an unpleasant shudder running through her face. She got out of the bed of linen, incenseing her feet on the floor.  
He watched her every step, which reduced their distance more and more. She stood in front of him, straightened up, without any emotions or traces of tears on her blackened cheeks. She even forgot about taking a refreshing bath.  
— I trust in Chester, but I'm afraid — she admitted after a moment of silence — I would like to, I want to reveal everything to you, but something blocks me. Knowing that I could lose you is not comforting. Silently, I want to protect you. Once my life was destroyed, when I decided to let someone know one of my secrets. She was hit by the worst punishment, spending, weeks of intensive therapy, lost in a pharmacological coma. Do you want it? Do you want me to visit the hospital and watch you die? I've already lost someone I cared about. He left me, and I could only watch him disappear from my life. Look, it's not easy, but I do it all for you.  
She wanted to leave now, but she felt a strong grip on the wrist, who again brought her to face her brother.  
— Every situation has its own solution Julio. Even the worst, they finally find justice. You can free yourself from it, only you tell yourself that you are strangers to it. You will never lose me — put a hand gently on her shoulder — If I did not care about you, would not I fight for you? We make decisions every morning whether it's accurate or fallible. The law of everyone is a mistake, because there is no concept of an "ideal man". Even the best need someone's support. You have lived a lot in your life. Let me keep talking — he reminded her when she opened her mouth to say anything — But now let me help you. Did not you say that we need people close to us when we want to fall? These are your words. Give us a chance that you will not let yourself be pushed from the top to the depths of the lake.  
— I do not see any sense in it.  
She pulled her hand from his grip, then disappeared behind the bright wing. He sighed quietly, he did not know how to persuade her finally to let go of the burden of her past, let her free herself from it. He wanted to leave now, but a fragment of the white casing threw up in his eyes. He crouched in the spot where the teenager's phone was sprawled. He looked at the tempered screen, which despite the fall looked like new. He took all the elements of the small compilation in his hands, inserting the battery inside. He slipped a hand-made pouch that the girl had created on the case. He sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for her phone to turn on. He should not do this, but the solution may be closer than he thought. She always acted oddly on the phone and messages from a boy named Clark. If he learns who he is, he will be able to see her and save her from the loss of her actions. He smiled grimly as he saw the picture of his sister in the arms of Michael on the display, during one of their trips to the beaches. The last rays of the sun, touching their faces, reflected off their satisfied faces. She looked so happy and carefree, allowing herself to hunt in their small photo session.  
He found applications with news, unfortunately he did not get anything, as he suspected earlier. The blockade prevented him from further investigation, as was the case with other messages. He was more and more embittered that he could not help her. What could he do next?  
She lay in the depths of warm water, reflecting on Chester's words. Maybe he was right, maybe she should finally break down and tell them the truth, but how could she do it, since she'd been cowardly at any opportunity. She wanted to stop thinking for a moment. She dipped under the warm water, filled with aromatic oil. She had to relax. She was crazy when she still had to think about it. It emerged from under the foam only when it was not able to hold air in the lungs. She rested her head on the black pillow that had been mounted to the huge bathtub, enjoying the first relaxation for several days. She wanted to spend the whole evening here, she was not even aware when the clocks broke the third night. She sighed quietly, getting out of the pleasant bath as the water began to ring. She grabbed the fluffy towel, wrapping it tightly around her.  
She returned to the bedroom, dressed in her favorite satin robe, wrapping her naked body. She was glad when she did not see the music at home, but in her eyes she threw her folded phone into a whole. She murmured something under her breath, hiding in the wardrobe to find clothes she could wear. She knew she would not fall asleep anyway. It did not make sense to put on pajamas. She threw on a dark T-shirt, the material of the towel so that water would not wet her clothes.  
Uneasily she reached for the cell, fearing to enter the news, she was terrified, knowing what was going to happen there. Unlocked her messages, she did not even want to talk to Clark, who was not really her. One—sided sending of messages is not called the discussion of two people. She followed the highlighted messages of friends and team members. She stopped her fingers when a message from Michael appeared on the list.  
She did not dare to look at the content he sent her, her hands trembled with anxiety and nervousness, the longer she looked at the amount of messages she had received on his behalf. She bit her cheek nervously from the inside, and her finger trembled at the lock button. She sighed quietly, sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the one number. There were many doubts and questions that she could not find a solution to. She did not think her next infatuation would end like this. She wanted peace and quiet in the arms of the one she loved, but the thought that she might lose him would spend her nightmare. She fell on the soft bedding, had a complete confusion in her head.  
Could she believe him when he said that no one would be able to stop him, that they would both feel a part of happiness, wondered if she was able to live in a new relationship, knowing that she must watch over her past so that she would not she broke into her poor existence? She could have laughed at this statement, she was no longer ruling over him. However, she was no longer able to lie to her own heart, she had cheated him for too long, denying her true feelings, condemning herself to whom she had never experienced suffering. She did not know the pain of love, because in spite of her sad past, she was always somewhat reciprocated. She made a mistake twice or was she ready for another disappointment? But something told her that this time she had acted in order to properly associate with the young musician. She thinks that he would be able to help her if she really trusted him by telling her what is tormenting her. It irritated me for a long while to think about whether this relationship would have the raison d'être. An irrational thought that did not give up.  
She did not know what to do with herself, from the morning she walked like a corpse around the house, trying to find a job, to no avail. Everything she took for made her into a real state of madness, throwing everything impatient and frustrated. The sketches of subsequent paintings were flying all over the room, when she looked with disgust at the lines that were to start something like a picture. Even though she sometimes did not have the idea to create her work, she would allow her to let her imagination let the pencil move on a clean piece of paper. The effect sometimes satisfied her, at other times she put him away in a briefcase with unfinished drawings, giving herself time to think about it and return it if the idea was born in her mind. This morning she was sitting at her desk, staring blankly at the colored pencils on paper, which shouted at her to create something, but her mind did not allow it.  
Irritated at the top of her borders, she got into discussions with Chester, which in time turned into their next row. She did not like to argue with him, but she had had enough of his constant guesses and willingness to help. She could understand it, but she gave him clear signs that she did not want it. However, it was not the end of her endurance, when she was covered with further messages from Clark, her anger on the boy cumulated on the brother. She never shouted at anyone like him. The insolent Bennington stood staring at her reddened cheeks, for the first time not knowing how to speak. He tried to speak, but suddenly he lost all his arguments. When the crack of the closed door came to him, he jumped up, looking around for the teenagers, unfortunately she was not in the apartment anymore.  
He would not have forgiven her if she ran away again.  
He did not know it was just the beginning of this whole game.

— I will destroy, destroy and utopia in the sea, this damned alarm clock — the elevated voice of an eighteen-year-old has spread throughout the house.  
Chester, sitting at the coffee table in the living room, looked through his last bills, raised his head as an enraged teenager ran down the bright steps of the apartment. She walked past him, wearing shorts made of dark material, a black tulle tunic covering a dark bra under her. It was quite a brave stand that she had assumed so far. The hair, which again took on the color of red, was associated in a tall pony, which was clothed with a dark bangle.  
— In that case, why did you set him up? — he asked, returning to his documents.  
— I did not squeeze the alarm! — She screamed, hiding in the kitchen.  
He sighed sluggishly, she was bitter again even bad, she did not greet the mornings with a smile or satisfaction, sometimes it was even hard to get him to leave when another state of menacholia caught up with her. He did not know what to do with her anymore. He was not surprised at the opinions he read that the girl had different moods, from anger to sadness I would have to change so much that even she could not control them. He understood all the questions now, whether doubts of the headmistress and her guardians. However, he promised his mother that he would take care of her. He knew that he would not forgive easily and get to the bottom of her problems. It will not go away easily, though at times it came to mind. However, he was persistent, he knew enough to simply leave the matter alone. He will not get rid of him, he will not allow it. He would listen for hours or days of her screams or complaints, if it somehow brought him closer to her, he was ready to endure it, to finally resolve the bandwidth of her troubles.  
— You do not have to shout because of it — he said.  
He looked up when he heard her rhythmic steps. She stood in the aisle, holding in her hands an empty cup, which she had just removed from the interior of the cupboard.  
— Chester, please, your stupid remarks are not helping me at all. I've had enough problems recently, and I have been additionally caught up in feminine days, so be nice brother and do not be upset!  
She turned on her heel, disappearing around the corner. He heard the sound of the locker being opened and the stream of subsequent curses from the girl's lips. He muttered something under his breath, pushing aside a pile of pages to find his notebook.  
Earlier quiet mornings in the Bennington family went into the past. Spending breakfast in a pleasant atmosphere could now be counted on the fingers of one hand.

She strolled aimlessly around her favorite park, the scent of blooming roses blossoming through the exhaust of car exhaust, the lush green of grass, until she encouraged us to spread a colorful blanket, listening to the jumble melody of nightingales. She slipped her hands into the pockets of her bright shorts, feeling the chill of her metal keys under her fingertips, and the characteristic smooth surface of her smartphone's screen. She did not know what made her spend this May morning on a quiet hike. She longed for days when she could get out of the house, aimlessly walk around the city or visit her favorite cafe to taste, though a bit of sweet cool treats. She needed respite, and the walk was the perfect way to unload the emotions or negative feelings that were suppressing her breasts. She drew in fresh air, staring at one of the branches of the lily of the valley growing nearby.  
Can you get used to the idea that you are being watched? No one will understand this, let alone get rid of this feeling of persecution. She was aware of who was watching her, but she could never feel confident enough to look behind her and make him leave, it was beyond her. An ordinary simple task that seemed to her really heavy. You might think it was absurd, but she felt that way, constantly followed by him with a desperate cry from the back of her head, so that someone would free her from it.  
— What? — she growled furiously.  
She could feel his nasty breath behind her, the smell that made her sick. She did not have to look to know she was standing right behind her. It works like a robot, stepping forward, as if sensing what it intends to do.  
— Politely, you probably forgot about respect.  
— Respect — she mocked, turning sharply toward him.  
He stood close. Dressed in a familiar leather jacket, his legs were black pants. You can think that he could arouse in whom sympathy, outlined jaw, deep steel look, which even attracted to himself. His face was slightly raised with a pointed nose. Dark strands of hair fell from the modeled hairstyle onto his brown forehead. He could have been accused of many, but his appearance was impeccable and full of the specific charm that once made her love this mask of a rebel and songwriter. He was the perfect boy at the moment of her youthful rebellion, how wrong she was for a subtle look at his possessiveness, which should immediately be a sign for her escape. She did not do it, she pays the consequences of her act to this day.  
— You forgot what the word means Kent! You will become for me a dumb, brainless moron, who, in pursuit of someone's will, intimidate and threaten to only force me to return. Screams do not work on me. You will not make me humble myself. You can forget about it!  
She did not know what had happened to her, that she was so brave about her words, but she felt that she would bitterly regret it, but she had to tell him straight away that she would never come back to him. He will not be a girl who can be imprisoned with impunity, and pretend to be happy in front of the outside world by making love to a couple. The illusion he created himself got out of control when she understood that this toxic relationship was destroying her.  
She frowned at him, she looked with sincere satisfaction as the vein on his temple pulsed dangerously, absently trying to think of something to kick her to the bottom. His eyes lit up suddenly, and she understood that her offense would not work.  
In an instant fear has returned and I will overwhelm her with my heart.  
She was not surprised when she felt a strong impact. It staggered backwards, unfortunately she was not able to meet hard ground when she felt a strong grip and jerk her hair. She hissed softly in pain, but it did not discourage her frame.  
— I think I have to remind you who is the top here, you squeaky bitch! — she could not react when he put her knees between her ribs, she could not even wince, feeling the growing suffering — We're going! — he growled furiously.  
She tried to tear herself, hit him to let her out of his grasp, but he was stronger. He took her to some distant place like that fateful day, but this time he had a different goal. Make her pain, the pure pleasure of humiliation. Getting his hands dirty was not his style, but it did not concern her person. He liked to hurt her, he tasted every delight, when he could look as if he were writhing around him. Damn sadist. She could have cursed him from the worst, but for him it sounded like a comment from her lips. She could never understand the meaning of his reasoning, and she hardly tried to guess what was driving him.  
She knew too well his form of revenge that he had in his heart. He remembers exactly the same blow that painfully stabs her chest, a painful blow that knocks her off her legs. Have you tried to defend yourself many times, but every time he pulled out his pocket knife, asking the same wounds?  
She moaned long when he threw her at one of the nearby walls. He did not pat her with it as he used to.  
— I will unlearn you right now, raise my voice! He drawled, pressing his shoulder against her exposed neck.  
— I'm not your property — she panted with difficulty — I've never been one! She added furiously, struggling to gather strength.  
— You will always be my whore!  
She did not even think when she felt a strong impact in the lower parts of her stomach. She hissed softly in pain, her knees buckling under her. She looked murderously at the hot boy above her, the next thing she could see was believe his shoe. She knocked him out in every way, when he beat her without being reminded whether he was hurting her body painfully, enjoying the sight, her suffering. Satisfaction has long since turned into sick joy. She did not know how long she was pasturing her, she was barely alive. She could hardly see his laughing eyes in pure madness. Her torture had no end, and she wished that people were blind, not to notice a sloping boy behind the body of a young girl behind a communal tank.  
— And my love, as a proof, that you would remember the end of my life that I will never leave you — He reached into his back pocket, his jeans, taking out his familiar knife.  
She panicked even more when she saw the blade approaching her face. She could not afford more scars, and knowing his techniques, probably the remembrance of this meeting remained with her for the rest of her life. She gathered her courage, rising, pushing him away. She snatched from his hand, his favorite murder weapon.  
— I will not dictate the conditions — it works like in some kind of amok, inserting the handle of the knife into his hand.  
Scarlet liquid flowed across the dark asphalt, a loud curse flowed out of the boy's mouth as she crushed him into the ground with impetus, and the blade slipped from his injured hand, falling to the ground.  
She did not look at him, she wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible. It was difficult for her, because it was pierced by dull pain, which unpleasantly spread over her frail body. She gave him a last contemptuous look, then ran out into the streets, full of people, wanting to get mixed up in the crowd of passers-by. She wrapped her arms around her as she felt a painful stab in her chest, and her breathing slowed a bit. She began to fear that this boy in her little struggle broke her ribs, she felt as every breath burns her mercilessly as she rushed toward the apartment, suppressing the growing moan.  
She stood in front of the door, only moments later, praying that she would not meet Chester. However, fate decided to punish her, and severely.  
She sat on the edge of the cupboard, leaning against the bright wall, trying to normalize her breath. All she wanted was to throw away the memories of the last meeting with the former sympathy. She knew that she could be unpredictable, but she herself did not tolerate the use of violence against enemies. She could not deal torn wounds to someone. It was Clark's opponent who was aware of it and it gave him pure pleasure. She was not like that. In that case, why did she reach for the knife and attack it? It was a necessary defense, but now that her emotions were falling, she spat in her face that she had gone so primitive.  
She looked dully at the door when a quiet melody sounded throughout the house. She stifled a moan of despair in her chest, struggling slightly out of the low cupboard. She turned the key, opening the door wider. In an instant she wanted to collapse under the ground when she faced her friend. She wished she could see her in such a terrible state once again. Beat up, wounded and full of fears.  
— Mike... What are you doing here? — She asked uncertainly.  
She was afraid of everything that he would shout at her, hate her, or laugh mockingly, but he stood and sadly looked at her slightly torn clothes.  
— Who were you fighting with? — He sighed quietly.  
— It does not matter — she replied evasively.  
— There is not — he repeated louder, stepping inside.  
He grabbed her red-handed hands. A lonely dark liquid spilled from tiny wounds that fell on his bright shirt. The red bruise marks were a clear sign of her recent conflict with Clark.  
— Look at yourself, looks like a person who did not argue with anyone? — he said firmly.  
Without a word, he grabbed her arm, leading her inside. She let out a long sigh, knowing she could do nothing against anything. She did not want to convince someone once again that everything was fine.  
— I was not afraid of anyone — she said softly as she sat leaning against the bright couch.  
She gave up when he dragged her into the living room, wanting to take care of her wounds or bleeding cheeks. There was no point in arguing with him. She knew she would lose this little confrontation anyway.  
— Then what happened? — he asked with a sigh, putting the liquid bottle on the dark table top.  
She bit her lip nervously, not knowing whether to take on this courage and say about the robbery. However, she was tired of getting tired of it, but her conscience would not allow her to speak, he would keep her quiet and not speak.  
They sat in silence for the next minutes, Michael clearly waited for her answer, but she was not ready for it. She cringed on the couch, her gaze fixed on the fireside hearth in the fireplace.


	43. TOM 1— REBEL : 42 — THREATEN, HONEY, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID OF YOU

She waved her hand over the carvings of the rock slabs. She felt tiny pebbles that stuck in the pads of her fingers, staring at the still astonishing sight of the scarlet bullet behind the shores of the ocean. The sky took on the color of red, orange or navy blue, creating amazing clouds in them. She loved to look at the setting sun just above the swamps, the reflecting sun on the rough ocean, it was a picture she wanted to remember. Get to know every detail, brush the clouds that wanted to cover the brightest star in our galaxy. As if they were getting into the sky dance, where they remained a pair of lovers trapped by the pure bliss of passion.  
The noise of the flowing water reflecting on the cliff became music for her wounded soul. She loved the scent of the salt water in the wind, the chill of the sea breeze touching her face, which was fluttering through her fluttering strands of hair that grew up in the braids, gently fluttering in the wind.  
She took on the subtle scent of the California sea. She loved the peace that surrounded this little corner, here she could for a moment forget about her distress, troubles or problems she had been worried about for weeks. Here she could feel safe, felt the freedom that surrounded her, let her relax.  
She sighed quietly, propping her hand on her exposed knee. The delicate summer dress that enveloped her made her play her own game with the wind when it grew slightly under his influence, but it did not allow to reveal too many shortcomings of feminine beauty. The ocean lived its own underwater life, everyone was curious about this underground city, which was hidden many meters under water. She muttered softly with satisfaction when she felt the last burning trickle of sunlight on her face. The first stars were born above the city, laying in their own constellations, creating an amazing view, but she loved this golden luna the last rays that were the sign of ending each day. She loved this city for such splendid views of the setting sun, mornings where the sky again greeted the inhabitants of the sunny city with its splendor. Everything made her want to keep it on the film of her memories, dig out from her mind an old camera, which despite years was able to preserve the beauty of nature.  
On the farthest corner of this beach, one could see the figure of the posture, which was hidden by the darkness of the coming night. The corner of the man's mouth rose upward, and he walked slowly between the stone boulders, hurrying to her. This time, however, he did not want her to go from behind, he loved doing it to be able to hide her in his arms. His last attempt, surprised by the girl, ended up with a black eye and quite a large snipe under his eye. He wanted to, he laughed at that memory, how timid she apologized for the incident. He could not blame her. He could think about his deed earlier, realizing that he was nervous at the last time. Even the tiniest rustling sounded even.  
— Can I sit down? — he asked, hiding his feet between two big stones.  
She raised her surprised head, looked at him somewhat confused. The glow of the last sunlight reflected in her bright gaze. The flame that was once hidden in this bright look was lost, now there was a void left of it that she could not replace. She stopped playing a well—learned role, a girl without worries, who was always smiling, something died in her. Part of her soul died with the appearance of her persecutor.  
— Mike — her voice was a bit scared — What are you doing here?  
— I was looking for you — he replied, looking at one of the constellations he painted on the blue sky.  
He saw how slightly embarrassed, he drops his beautiful look at his interlaced hands. She played with her fingers in her nervous tic-tac-toe, as if it would discharge the sudden stress that would overwhelm her body. His heart was bleeding when he looked at her, blaming himself for all the evil that she thought she had brought on them. They tried to make her realize that she was wrong, but she had felt for some time that she had brought them trouble. Problems that they had no idea about.  
— Baby, what's going on?  
She looked away sharply, as if to avoid further conversation that was to come.  
She was more and more confused, the events of the last weeks affected her personality or way of thinking. She hated herself. A teenager who is always scared of eternity, who still thinks that she does not have the courage to even go to the police, reporting further attempts to intimidate the ex-boyfriend. However, the most disgusting to herself that she was cheating herself, escaping from responsibility, she began to fear her feelings. Though her desires, which were smoldering in her heart, were the most sincere, she still caught herself on cowardice. What could she say? The truth that hurt her so much, or condemn herself again, going further into the lies she herself created that she no longer ruled over. Everything was out of control. Life in stability went into oblivion when a boy came back to her life, who brought chaos to her life, to transform him into a real ruin in passion. She could only thank him because he had succeeded. He destroyed not only me, but everything that depended on her, what she built for so many months.  
— Julia, please talk to me.  
She did not feel his voice in her tone, no anger, she could forget about the frustration that might have lured him. The peace that she loved in him did not leave him even, now that he saw them in front of them, she fell into the dark crater of the ravine. She was standing on the old creaky bridge, which swayed with every possible movement, and she was clinging to the old rope for fear, panic overwhelmed her. Fear that ripped her from the inside when she looked down, and the edge was unattainable for her.  
She looked at him with a slight uncertainty in her eyes when the point of his question caused her painful strokes. He remembers that day when he was sitting here, and she was scared looking for him when his friends had no idea where to find him. She learned the secret of his sanctuary, in which he could hide from curious glances, intrusive questions, or even stay alone. This time the cards turned around, the deck went to her side, she needed support, but she could not ask for it.  
— Nothing — she murmured so quietly that she could hardly hear her.  
She asked herself this question herself. It was still painfully reflected in her mind, she tried to find the answer, but the effect was poor. The only painful explanation was the lack of understanding. She was afraid that when she confessed the truth, they would not want to hear her wretched explanations that would recognize that she was lashing about another lie. She was so afraid of rejection that she could not look at it any differently.  
He took her chin gently, gently ran his fingertips over her cheek, enjoying the touch of her smooth skin. He cocked his head gently, looking into her intense gaze.  
— How long are you going to pull it?  
She did not answer immediately, struggled with her own weakness. Sobbing wanted to leave her breast to show again how much he suffered. To show what in the early years of her youth she could close in her pocket. A drawer of your mind.  
— Mike, I do not want to lose you — she did not manage to win this battle.  
Lonely tears dripped from her slightly closed eyelids. He wiped the tear with tenderness, which filtered through her pale face. He smiled gently, as if not quite understanding the meaning of the words she said.  
— I'm not going anywhere, baby — he laughed softly.  
— It's not about that — She clenched her hand on his arm that moved slowly across her exposed collarbone — Promise me you will not lose faith in me. I do not want you losing hope that was stolen from me.  
— Julia, what are you talking about? — he asked incomprehensibly.  
She could no longer keep her further words that flowed through her trembling lips. She could not withdraw anymore! Was this how she imagined the moment in which she would be ready in the end to stop hiding her true feelings for the young musician? She could have concealed it for the next weeks, falling more and more into the madness of her love, or chose a solution that seemed so banal, but it made her a huge difficulty. She clutched her thigh tightly to somehow relieve the stress that had overcome her, and she looked up to look into his brown gaze.  
It works like in some strange trance that she could not explain clearly.  
— Forgive me for what I will do.  
He frowned questioning, ready to ask what was going on her mind. But then he felt the taste of her hot lips, the bitter aftertaste of her tears destroyed the fragrance of passion that so linked them. She would not allow him to taste those raspberry lips any longer. She moved away slowly, and a shadow of regret broke through the shield of sadness that was separating herself. She looked at him for the last time, and the words seemed superfluous.  
She rose from the rock, climbed up to her, then turned over her shoulder, her soft voice deafening his senses.  
— I'm sorry for loving you.  
He could not stop her when she almost ran away from him, leaving him with a thoughtful head. He felt like his heart, breaking into two parts. Was it supposed to look like this? He would let her go when he knew her true feelings, what was inside her wounded soul. Was he to stop fighting for the girl he loved? He did not want to and he could not let her slip away now. But before he could find her, she disappeared into the darkness of the night, as if she would never return.


	44. TOM 2— TAKEN : 00 — PROLOGUE

She stood surrounded by the glow of the moon's luminous navy blue sky. He embraced her with his bright light, as if encouraging him to stare at his extraordinary depth. The constellations of a million stars created a beautiful landscape in blue, taken out of the most beautiful picture or picture that could bring them an extraordinary spectacle. The turbulent waves of the ocean distorted the appearance of an earthly satellite that wanted to look in its crooked mirror, admiring its natural glow.  
The ocean could delight and at the same time arouse in us a sense of minority, tear our fear of storming the water during a storm. We could feel tiny in the vastness of creation. The salty smell of the sea hit her nostrils, and the blue of her dress fluttered in the gentle breeze. Staring at the distant star Sirius behind a cloud of darkened clouds. She felt her eyelids dropping down so that she could feel the fascinating sight in front of her. However, she could not concentrate to remember this beautiful picture of June night. In the past, such places allowed her to calm down, she could look for inspiration or just get caught up in the image of a quiet ocean surface. Everything, however, has its beginning and the ending of a certain story.  
She sighed quietly, with a heavy heart, looked into the tiny handbag that rested on one of the boulders. Without difficulty, she found a white device inside her, wrapped in a hand—decorated frame. Pressing one of the buttons, the darkness around her torn the screen saver light. She looked at the picture of the bride and groom for the last time. Her gaze stopped for a moment on the dark gaze of the man. His smile brightened his face, he lived in the blissful conviction that nothing could hurt him. Once restored colors, they will again become a sad gray reality in which they will play a major role. He'll give him pain again, which he can not forget. She will break his heart!  
— I'm sorry — she whispered, tears in her eyes.  
Not thinking much, she unhooked the cover of a bright smartphone, taking out a tiny plastic card from it, tears flowing slowly on her cheeks when she broke the tiny messenger for the second time. The fragments disappeared into the rough ocean of the ocean, the moment when a bright phone disappeared under the water, the moment when her life disappeared.


	45. TOM 2— TAKEN : 01 — SHE LEFT US, LIFE HAS LOST ITS FORMER SPIENDOR

She smoothed her palm with a nervous hand, the material of a brightly pearly dress that wrapped her slightly tanned shoulders around her. She stared with fear at the dark oak door that filled her with fear and anxiety. Why did she feel stress standing at the entrance of the apartment, which was allowed to be called her home? Her heart trembled with uncertainty in her chest, and doubts seized her with her body as she reached out to knock on the wooden wing. She paused, hanging her head gently.  
She still wondered if she had made the right decision. She remembered the day when she was on the road and her only goal was to change her surroundings. Looks at her life in a different way, but she subconsciously wanted to escape. Leave this life alone. To behave like the worst sort of cowardly soldier who, in the face of war, escapes from the battlefield, hiding in some trenches, only to survive the raid of enemy troops. It seems that she gained the courage that was stolen from her. That's why she left everything behind her, family happiness, beloved brother, friends who meant so much to her, and above all his.  
She promised him that she would always be with him, and meanwhile she abandoned him, let herself be carried away by one of her enemies, her past. She did exactly what he wanted. She pushed away the person she really loved. She closed her eyelids gently, feeling the burning tears at the corners of her bright look.  
The last month was a horror story for her, in which she fought the guilty feeling that had taken over her body. In the worst dreamlike marches, she could see with her love and understanding of her eyes the color of bitter chocolate. She could see his smile and joy every time he could be with her. She could see him, but she could not touch him. From her own side, she rejected the man she had donated to her part of her own soul, handed her own heart into his hands, when on that memorable night she set out to the south of the states to feel well done there. She was wrong! On the first day she sat in some old fort with a strange paralysis. She could not move, literally could not breathe. She felt how life escapes from her in an instant. She lay there on the cold concrete, numbed by the pain, and violent sobs echoing through the stone rooms of unused buildings. She reproached herself for having to treat him like that. She thought in her mind that she had managed to dominate her former partner, who only wanted to see her annoying end. She gave him then like a tray. She did not take into account how much support she has around her. She did not see it or she was just blind. Years spent alone, effectively did not allow her to open to those who really wanted to help her. How many times had she heard from Chester, asking him to tell him everything to trust him. He wanted to solve her problems, but she was too proud to ask for it. Every time the thought overwhelmed her to go to him and explain everything, she chastised herself, saying that if she had coped before, she would do it this time. However, she was wrong in seeing how she was moving away from those she cared about. They were for her. And above all, they did not want her to be lost. Why did she make that decision? She did not understand the answer then. She thought that if they would disappear from their lives, nothing would happen to them. However, she suffered the most, wandering for thirty days alone in California without a goal in her life. When she lived in the city of angels, many perspectives opened up for her, but the demon of her past let her know, telling her effectively that she would not even delude herself that she would not be able to win anything in her life. It will only be a puppet in the hands of fate with this evil character.  
She understood this only now, when she returned to the city again, to make amends for the mistakes of the last month, and at the same time to face the cruel past. She could not let Clark start her again. Only after three weeks she accepted the truth about her former sympathy on her shoulders. Everything he did was a deliberate act to take such and not other traffic jams. Instead of trusting her brother and friend, she went into Kent's dead arms again to get around. She knew exactly how this boy had a toxic influence on her, and yet she took a risk that she should never even take into her hands.  
Finally, the time has come to face the truth and the demons that have been constantly destroying it for many weeks. Again, allow yourself to believe that everything can still be unscrewed. She lived through these months in the belief that she was again this old self, did not reach her, that with the recovery of her brother, a long-unseen joy came to her life.  
She looked up, staring at the small stained glass window. She had doubts about how Chester would accept her return. She had not been here for a long time, she did not know how to act or what to say to him. She was ready to admit and confess the truth she had been bothering for over eighteen years, but did she have enough courage to give up her doubts and say that she needed them? However, she had to do it. She has been tormenting this from the moment she was a child, her whole past was a huge burden to her, from which she wanted to free herself. Throw down the boulder that is forced to carry for so many years.  
She could not withdraw, not now!  
She clenched her fist, taking her to the door's height. She knocked softly, her heart trembling in her chest, she listened to the sounds on the other side of the wooden wings. Even here, she met these characteristic steps. The corner of her mouth twitched upward, but she again took on a serious expression when she heard the sound of the key turning in the lock. She took a deep breath when she heard the soft creak of the door.  
The man stood dumbfounded, seeing the glow of disbelief that lurked in his dark gaze. Sadly, she watched as if in a mere month of the vigor and life of the music she knew, a singer, tired of life, stood before her. The complexion which was still pale was even grayer. She had the impression that his colorful tattoos were slightly pale, which seemed really surprising to her. He looked horrible and could not hide it, that she felt it was her fault.  
But before she could say anything or speak, explain her long absence, the flash that had gone missing in his brown eyes, was lit with a vivid color, and a pure relief broke through the shadow of worry in his voice.  
— Julia!  
He did not let me take even a step when she found herself in his tender affection and longing. A silent murmur of contentment left her lips as she pressed her cheek against his collarbone, throwing out her own stupidity that she had left him. She did not even want to move away. They stood in the middle of the driveway, seeing each other after a month of absence, but this time with no contact. Who would have thought she would find people in her life to whom she would like to return with all her might, make them happy again even now that she did not feel very well herself.  
It took long minutes before Chester gave her a chance to get some fresh air. He pushed her away slightly, looking into her slightly bloodshot eyes. She did not sleep the last night. She wandered around the city, still wondering if she should return. She hoped that she would not regret her decision she made. She did not even have the strength to think about her not the best physical condition, from the moment her life was in ruins, and she was wandering whether it was her home town or the city of angels that she stopped taking care of herself. It was only today she decided to embrace somehow. It was a difficult time for her. Moments she began to regret.  
— Are you mad at me? — She asked quietly.  
She stood before him uncertainly as he crossed his hands on his chest. He did not answer, which made her even more anxious. Suddenly, she heard a familiar barking. She watched, seeing Junke running through the open door, and Anika beside her. The dogs ran up to her, clearly happy. She bent down, took her little friend in her arms, scratching at her ear a happy bitch of a Golden Retriever, who, like a guard dog, perched on her hind legs, almost felt the fur of a dog that tickled her sheltered legs.  
— Come in — he only sighed, letting her through the door.  
An uncertain step, she crossed the threshold of the apartment. She did not bother with the photo of her comfortable sandals. The soft tapping of her slippers was reflected in the dead walls of the villa. She crossed the corridor, going down a single step, entering the brightened sun of the living room. The satisfied Maltese man burrowed into her chest as she hugged her more closely, putting next steps full of doubt. She could not act like a coward anymore. She promised herself that she would end up in fear!  
She sat on the edge of the sofa, looking carefully around the living room. Nothing has changed here for more than four weeks of her absence. She settled comfortably on Junka on her knees, which began licking her hands to attract attention. She laughed softly, for the first time in several weeks, gently combing the bitch's fair hair. Anika, who had toddled her legs so far, jumped onto the sofa, hugging her head in her side. She also lacked the owner with whom she loved to play.  
— Can you tell me where you've been for almost a month of absence? — Chester appeared in the living room, holding cups of hot tea in his hand.  
He arranged both dishes on the pre-school table of a coffee table, looking at the teenager, cuddled to their pet pets. He sat in one of the armchairs to look at her. He saw him, he sighs softly. She caught a clear vessel in her hands. Taking a sip of the aromatic black substance she loved so much, putting it back on the table.  
— Yes — she said, and he sensed a slight uncertainty in her voice — I was in Phoenix.  
— What? — the musician was amazed.  
He remembered well with what disdain the 18-year-old had expressed about his hometown. She almost spit at the thought that she could, come back, and now she hears that she has voluntarily found herself in a city where she felt repugnant. A disgust she could not even cover.  
— Then why did not you answer the phone? — You did not take anything with you except him. Julia, I do not understand why you did it.  
The girl looked up at him. She knew full well that she would be asking her for such trivialities that seemed like the face of recent events. However, even the smallest problem is a pass to a life of chaos.  
— I threw him out — she explained.  
Although she felt ashamed of herself, for her shameful behavior, she did not have the courage to take her eyes off. She looked in his eyes, trying to find some negative emotions, but all she saw was relief and faith. Hopes he will not do it again.  
— Chester, it was a spontaneous decision polished by my greatest stupidity. She took actions that were never supposed to take place, but I decided myself. Excuse me.  
— Why in that case, you ran away instead of telling me what's bothering you — he asked quietly with a gentle sigh.  
— I was stupid! I've been guided by instinct, instead of listening to common sense. I let my former unconsciously lead me. Again, I let him be fooled like a fourteen—year—old who wrapped himself around his finger.  
He put down the cup of fresh tea, rose from a light piece of furniture, then walked to it, sitting on the edge of the sofa. He took her hands gently in a warm embrace. He knew that this time he would not bend and he would do anything to bring the matter to an end. He had to know her past, if the situation happened again, when he could look helplessly as his sister, he was disappearing more and more. He will not allow her to flee for the second time, leaving emptiness in his life.  
— Little sister, everybody makes mistakes, it's a human trait. No one is perfect, a painting painting drawn from the canvas, everyone has advantages and disadvantages. There is always something we are afraid of, but at the same time we have the courage to tell our anxiety firmly at the right moment. Get rid of everything that's bothering us and it's still bothering us. The most important thing is whether you are ready for it - he said calmly when he saw her gaze full of undefined feelings.  
— The only thing I want for someone to help me deal with the past. I play a girl who can not hurt anything, and yet I fear each evening because I do not know what he will bring me pain or relief. It's me. That's why I preferred to escape rather than face it — her voice shook with emotion.  
A stream of grim thoughts ran through her mind, and she felt again like a little girl who, the only thing she had dreamed of was to hide in the safe arms of her mother she did not have. She wanted her parents so badly when she lay crouched under a thin blanket on a cold frosty night. She needed warmth, the closeness of those in whom she should have a support, and yet they abandoned her. They left their cruel fate. She was now an adult who had the burden of the past, whose decisions she had to make quickly, which she had to learn in her youthful years of responsibility and independence. She looked with envy at her unconscious real-life peers who grew up under the wings of their parents. She was deprived of it, yet she wanted to be a serious and trustworthy person. But she could not trust herself.  
— Little.  
A soft smile lit her lips when she heard his nickname fall from his lips, for which she was so lacking.  
— I took up the fight for you because I love you. Even when I met a seventeen-year-old who had been hurt by a fate who preferred to strike me than believe her stealing nonsense, yet she does not regret any month spent with you. Besides my mum, you are also dear to me — joy settled on her lips when he put his hand gently to her cheek.  
She closed her eyelids gently, allowing herself to cuddle more, which pleased them immensely. It took only a short time for the siblings to miss each other when their fraternal bonds were rubbed again. This time, however, they were both ready to face reality and overcome what fate would bring them.  
— I never told you that — she said in a broken voice — I have not thanked you for giving me a home. I gained thanks to you a life that I thought was lost long ago, you let me hope that my life will change. Thank you — a single drop of tears flowed from her blue eyes — I love you  
He looked at her with affection as the corner of his mouth rose upward. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. She did not resist, let her lean her forehead on his shoulder, sighing deeply. He sensed that for the first time in a long time she felt happy.  
They did not need anything more. The ties that joined them became even stronger. The siblings, who were once separated by the raw father, will gain a long lost faith in the family's love. Time is extremely important. Even their separation made their hearts bleed with longing. Despite their small conflicts, they trusted completely. They knew that as long as they were together, they would be safe under the watchful eyes of their mother who watched over them. Although she still had a grudge against her for giving her to the orphanage, she gripped her fear when her husband threatened to take her away from the second child. She saw a subtle resemblance. Both were able to do everything in their power to protect their loved ones, even if at the expense of their actions, their loneliness and bitterness that smoldered in their hearts would become. Sara, to protect Chester, sacrificed her newborn daughter, which she gave away with deep wounds to the psychic. Awareness that she could not look at her first smile, step or the word she said, made her feel saddened by her. She, in order to ensure the safety of her brother, preferred to go away from her dangerous former boyfriend rather than condemn him to suffering. However, she contributed to his pain as she separated their common path. At the very thought she felt a burning sensation in the place where her heart was beating. Sacrifices are inscribed in our biography, but whether we will be able to see them and sacrifice them. She was ready for it. She did it from an early age, she understood what the consequences might be and she was ready to meet them with all her consciousness.  
— I wanted to fix everything. Rebuild everything I've destroyed — she said in a weak voice.  
The time she spent in solitude allowed her a bit to look at recent events without being their immediate world. Although she was the person she took part in them, now that she could calmly think about it, not feeling the pressure of the world around her. She decided that her behavior was truly regrettable, and although she thought it was a reasonable solution, she was wrong. She could only discipline herself for her shameful behavior. However, she will not turn back time, but if she has the opportunity to get a second chance, she will not be hurt by going to the roads that have no way out.  
— You will always have this opportunity — said the man.  
Immediately after their conversation, the musician chased her away so she could refresh herself and sleep away last nights. She thought, however, that she would not be able to rest, there was something that tormented her, and even a conversation with Chester would not allow her to cover this emptiness in her heart. She climbed directly up the bright steps of the apartment. She entered a well-known hall, decorated with several paintings. She sighed softly, pressing the bright oak door handle. She looked around with attention, tracing every detail or element of even the smallest decoration. A gentle smile brightened her face, pale with exhaustion, longing for those blue walls covered with landscapes or hanging pictures of her friends and family. Everything remained in place the day it left Los Angeles.  
She looked like a happy Maltese, climbs onto the edge of a soft mattress. She was amused by her, her awkwardness, she put her hand to her lips, suppressing the growing laughter. The bitch, after a short climb, spread out on the dark bedding, clearly satisfied and proud of herself. She lowered her eyes, going to her desk, where, on a dark board, she dropped her tablet. She turned the revolving chair, sitting on the leather reflection of the furniture. She ran her hand over the toughened glass, switching on the device. She was not surprised by the amount of messages from social networks or private conversations she had not received. She came to private attention, noticing a lot of messages from her friends and acquaintances, but most of all she was stunned by her private conversation with Michael, noticing only two texts sent. She wanted to check it out, but stopped when she wanted to enter into their personal discussion that they were leading. She reproved herself for her hesitation, then traced the text with her eyes.  
She clenched her fingers on the edge of the device, feeling the burning tears that sought to free herself from her slightly closed eyelids. She had to squander everything when everything started to fall into place. And now she could look like everything she built, falling apart in front of her eyes. She did not want to lose him, she did not want it so much, and yet, instead of putting her past aside, she simply pouted in it, thinking that this was the best solution. Did she have to be shocked again to understand that by living her old memories, she would not be able to build a lasting relationship? She put the electronic tool down on the desk top, staring absently at her watch, at one of the bedside tables. Digital counts, indicated a few minutes before eighteen. It did not make sense any more, she was leaving nowhere, she also did not feel like going anywhere. She needed a rest and, even though she wanted to meet him, she had to put it down later. She leaned against the back of the chair, thinking how her life had been unstable lately. Instead of guiding her heart with feelings that led her to the truth, she acted differently. She rose from the chair, pushing him aside. She crossed the room, disappearing in the dressing room. She took one of her drawers from her favorite satin nightgown and matching pillow, opened the door wider, carefully taking every step, as if afraid that someone was hiding behind her, sighed softly when she saw Junka slumbering on the soft bedding.  
She disappeared behind the bathroom door. She grabbed the straps of her light creation between her fingers, sliding her slightly over her skin, cold shivers running through her body as the dress fell at her feet, remaining in light underwear. She grabbed the edge of the black dressing gown, preparing herself for arms, sat on the edge of the large bathtub, reaching for one of the handles. The sound of water filled the rooms, which satisfied her immensely. She ran her fingers over the sheet of warm water, over which time a thick foam appeared. She dipped in a hot bath when she dropped satin on the edge of a huge sink. She put a slightly sore head on the black back, inhaling the subtle scent of cherry blossoms that floated in the air.  
She gave in, took pleasure in bathing, gaze closed, gently closed her eyelids, delving into her thoughts. She was not aware when the king of dreams stole behind her, wanting to take her to her own land, so she could enjoy the memories or dreams of her own soul. She fell into a light nap.  
— Young, wake up!  
She heard the urgent voice that drilled her painfully in the mind. She jumped up violently when her brother's slightly frightened voice reached her. She scared frightened, sinking deeper into the water, the foam floating on the surface, which lost its elasticity, slowly faded and the temperature dropped, but it did not bother her at all. She glanced at the man sitting on the edge of the bathtub.  
— Can you explain what you're doing here?  
— For an hour to sit in this bath, I thought that something happened to you.  
— As you can see, I'm fine, now get out! — She said sharply, measuring him with the look of her bright irises.  
He did not answer her complaint, he heard her request, he straightened up, then disappeared through the door, shouting that she would not sit longer. She muttered softly, and a few malicious epithets left her lips as she reached for a soft towel, wrapping itself around him. She stood in front of the mirror, drying the excess water from her dark hair, which returned to its natural shade and radiance. She loved to change the colors of her hair, which was unlike her. Earlier, she thought it was too crazy, but now she liked to dye her hair once in a while. With a free hand movement, she combed them so that they could be tangled in a long plait. She applied soft material to the tips from which single droplets dripped so that they could eventually be absorbed. She glanced over her shoulder, searching for the pajamas left on the shelf. She put her on top of her, covering her exposed shoulders with a delicate satin. She corrected the crooked ponytail that fell on her shoulder.  
— Are you going to talk to your friends? — Chester asked when she went down to the living room.  
— I have no choice. Before I do that, however, I need to fix something that I pulled down before I left.  
The bitterness filled her flaccid body when a wave of memories of that ill-fated evening flooded her. She had hope and faith that she would eventually be happy in the end with the person she loved. Unfortunately, the combination of earlier events forced her to reject the man she most wanted. She was ready to do anything for him, but life did not show her what the real pain of love meant. He did not realize how much her wounded heart would be dead. When she could only watch, as in this dark gaze, a sad disappointment and disappointment, which she could not forget about, collects. She could not erase it from her memory, although she wanted it. She will not do it, she will feel her reproach, until she decides to talk to him and say why she did not give him a chance. Hopes that they can be together. Was she able to do that now? She kept asking herself this question. All she knew was that if she did not, she might lose him, and she was afraid of it the most. She could not let him go.  
She did not want to lose her love!  
— It's about Mike, right? — the voice of the music pulled her out of her reverie.  
She raised her head, looking at him with a slight surprise. He just laughed, feeling her slightly surprised look. He put down the book he had read so far, then rested his hands on his knees.  
— How do you know? — she stammered weakly — Why did you think about him — she corrected herself, convinced that nobody noticed what her heart really was.  
— Julio can see it!  
She frowned, staring at him from under the lightly closed eyelids.  
— Do not kid yourself. From the moment I came back from the route, I watched you carefully. I saw how your towers are getting closer, I've had better contact with him than with the rest of the group. Even then during our little game, you did not look like you were dissatisfied with this kiss.  
She lowered her head as a soft blush covered her cheeks.  
— The question of the next months was a pure formality. I will not deceive you with statements that I have not seen anything, because I would lie. Despite what happened, you love him.  
— Yes — she said quietly — But now I destroyed everything!  
— You made the decisions you considered the most reasonable, thinking that you were doing the right thing.  
— But — she did not know how to say what she wanted to say, she opened her mouth to say something, but she hesitated. The doubts that bothered her with her mind again became known — What if I fail? What should I do if I think of it as a cow...  
— Julia — he interrupted her firmy — He did not think about what it would be like if he could only fight for it — he saw a girl want to resist — he still hopes you'll come back. You took one step, take another one. Do you want to destroy your love by some sucker who wants to destroy your life?  
— No, but…  
— Stop being afraid and give yourself a chance!  
Chester's words touched her extremely. He was right, if she decided to return to their lives again and face cruel reality, she should do everything to save her sore heart. The awareness that she could be happy made her happy, but on the other hand, fear was still in her. She was afraid that if by some miracle her relationship with Mike would come to fruition, her former parter would again be effective in poisoning her beloved's life, forcing him to retreat and abandon her. This time, however, I'm not going to say this unrest very much.  
She wanted this love, like the air, she could not be guided again. She should have looked at her eyes for a long time, but her anxiety dazed her.  
The time will come when she wanted to build a bridge to see who she loves.


	46. TOM 2— TAKEN: 02  — FINALLY, HE WANTS, A PEACEFUL LIFE

She grasped the soft fabric of the dark overcoat between her fingers, bringing it closer to her, a low murmur of dissatisfaction dropping her slightly closed mouth, when the thought of the newly dawned morning reached her mind. She glanced briefly at the alarm clock standing on the bedside table, which indicated a few minutes after seven in the morning, with a moan of despair she turned to the other side, ready to take a long nap. The longer she lay in a bit warm bedding, and the king of the sleepy mar, did not even think to take her to his own land, to be able to dream about the cool breeze of the ocean, bathed in the golden sphere, feeling the irritation growing in her. Earlier holidays, sleeping longer did not cause her trouble, she could bask between the pillows and blankets, forgetting the meaning of the alarm clock or early insertion. Today's morning was a disaster for her, so she wanted to rest in peace, not wanting to think about anything more than what would take her into the land of eternal dreams. She closed her eyelids, irritated to the limit. She clenched her hands on the sheets, and single words of dissatisfaction flitted through her slightly chapped lips. She sighed deeply, feeling that her efforts were of no avail. She was forced to face the next day and what would give her fate. In a way, she felt relieved after talking to Chester last night. Though she was aware that she could count on him earlier, those hours convinced her that it was time to change her eternal fear, forget about that nasty feeling of emptiness that was smothered in her breast, knowing she was capable of revealing her secrets with whom she had lived for more than fourteen years, with mysteries that were slowly overwhelming her. She had to gather up the courage and speak from the depths of her heart, which pleased her the last decision so unreasonable and childish. She behaved like a thirteen-year-old rebel whose sole purpose was to escape from a place where she did not feel or feel a sense of security. However, she would not withdraw her time, she could only repair the mistakes she had made.  
She pushed aside the blanket she had covered, the penetrating breeze that came through the open balcony window, and lifted the curtain in the air, which almost danced with a gentle breeze of passionate dance. She found her bedspread in the corner of the bed, put it on her exposed shoulders, enjoying the touch of dark satin. An unpleasant shudder ran through her body as she laid her feet on the cool wood. She did not worry too much about it. She adored such moments in the morning when she could feel the chill after a warm night. Ever since she settled in Los Angeles, she enjoyed moments when the terrace door was open for the night, and a gentle breeze burst through the exposed window. Tying the bow at her side, she slowly descended the oak step carefully. Her legs led her to her own balcony. She stopped at the railing, leaning against her metal structure, looking at the beautifully blooming plants in the garden, which remained under the care of their gardener, who tried to make the alleys or a place to rest, envelop colorful bushes or colorful plants. It was impossible to accuse her of having no hands to trees or flowers. She remembered well how in the space of a few days their little refuge behind the house after the hurricane had returned to its former splendor, which was not an easy task at all. She could then, unhindered, hide in the depths of the garden, sitting on the hammock, reading another novel or catching up on the episode of your favorite series.  
However, she could not afford it today. A day was spent waiting for her to settle some important matters, and above all she had to buy a new phone again and get a phone number. However, she could not make a mistake this time, she was forced to block a string of digits at the headquarters of her supplier. She kept telling herself that she had not thought about this option before, maybe in this way, she would not have been forced to flee her last time and the intrusive phone calls of her former partner.  
She quickly rejected the thoughts, her memories of meetings with him were not easy at all, she did not want to grieve even more, thinking about how much stupidity she did under his influence. She needed a shock to realize that the trouble was not in her, but the fool of a twenty-year-old who understood her partnerships as dominating her already ex-girlfriend. She took a black clip from the inside of the small pocket. She slipped it into her slightly pale red hair, passing through the rim of the room.  
She paused at the dark desk, grabbing her tablet. Unlocked the device to encounter a dozen unread notifications from social networks, but it was something completely different. She pulled her swivel chair upside down, sitting on its edge, the darkness of her dark skin tingling a rather unpleasant tingle. She focused on the screen, searching through the apps on the first pages. When this distinctive logo of the Internet communicator appeared to her eyes, she stepped inside, welcoming that she had not been logged in all this time. She entered her personal details to get inside, after a while her huge list of friends appeared, and the quiet sound of incoming notifications made the device vibrate. In the end, she found the person she wanted to contact, but her face was disappointed when she saw the lack of an active icon. In total, it did not make an impression on her, but he had a little hope that he might be able to exchange a few messages before he left the house. Put the electronic toy on the table, not wanting to disturb, did not even write ordinary greetings. In part, she wanted to hide the fact that she returned to the city.  
Thoughtfully she entered the wardrobe, going to one of the drawers, she removed a set of lace underwear from inside. She hid her in the middle of the huge wardrobe again. She put it on the white chair, standing next to the entrance, looking through the hangers in search of something interesting. Short searches were effective when she had matured on one of the shelves her white pants, which she had not worn for so long. She grabbed a clear blue shirt from the hanger, which seemed to her the most appropriate, and then she left the built-in wardrobe, dreaming of a cool shower.  
As her bare feet touched the rug next to the sink, she left her silent on the bright countertop, carefully grabbing the end of the ribbon and pulling it, making the robe fall at her sides. She made sure she turned the key from the castle. She did not want a similar situation that happened yesterday evening. Maybe it was her brother, but it made her still in embarrassment. She did not like it when someone disturbed her while bathing. She was slipping off her nightgown, stepping into the cool, flowing stream of water as she threw quietly into the laundry basket, hidden under one of the cupboards. She felt like the weight of the last night, it dripped with the drops that glided over her body. Although these hours spent in sleep were calm, and no more nightmares haunted her, she had the feeling that this was only peace before the storm. She knew this prickly premonition, she often had during her growing up, when she was not aware of what was happening to her. Over time, it disappeared when she understood what was happening to her. She lost some kind of warning against further attacks. She had no idea what had happened now that this feeling had come back again. She did not think about it any longer when she broke off the foam. She swung the shower door, grabbing a towel, hung on a small hook. She wrapped herself in his down-filled fabric, standing in front of a huge mirror, wrapped in individual lights. She leaned forward, looking for a hair dryer. When she could not see her, convinced that she had left her in the bedroom, she saw her pushed in the back of one of the shelves. She held her up, combing her hair so she could get rid of the excess water. Humming a melody softly under her breath, she dried her hair. She did not bother with a haircut, she hoped that she would get rid of this faded color today, which began to slowly irritate her. It is time for the old teenager to return. She tucked her hair out of a sloppy coca, letting out some strands of hair. She dried herself off the excess of water, and then found a light underwear at the bottom.  
She left the bathroom, buttoning the last button of her shirt, walking cautiously through the corridor, so as not to wake up the sleeping family. Junka was annoyed when she was waking up at an obscenely early hour, which she could not say about her brother's companion, which she loved. Sometimes she would go into his master's room specially to take her for a walk in the early hours of the morning.  
Entering the room, she went to the dresser with the mirror. She must have covered the dark circles under her eyes in some way. She slept quietly all night, but her skin was still terribly pale, despite the light tan she had contracted. Her skin was still suffering from her rather radical diet or lack of it for the last four weeks. She drew the last line, then grabbed one of the watches from one of the watches in the golden hemisphere. She did not bother to look for additional jewelry, she did not want to be more beautified. She grabbed the purse lying behind her, throwing in the undercoat and protecting the lip gloss. She could for the moment forget about painting her lips until her lips would return to her old life. She looked around for her notebook and IPod, but she did not see him anywhere. She got up, went to the desk, pulled out the first drawer, where she left all the electronic devices or chargers, but apart from the e-book reader and the stack of cables, she saw nothing. Then a box threw up in her eyes, where she sometimes threw things, not wanting to put them back in their place. She broke through a tangle of crayons, pencils or individual things, repeating that she had to clean up, found a white MP3 company with a bitten apple and a fairly large calendar, which she busily led. She slipped them into the bag, leaving the room. She descended the sunlit stairs. Holding her pins in her hand so as not to make any more noise, she went to the kitchen. She ripped a sheet of paper from her notebook, found a pen in the dark, wrote a quick message to Elder Bennington not to worry about her, because he was going out to get a few things out of the city. She left a piece of information in a visible place, not even bothering to make breakfast. She only grabbed a French bun. She closed the door behind her, biting into a golden croissant.  
Entering the black cabriolet, she threw the passenger, pins and a bag in the sneakers alone. She hated running in high shoes, she always took some shoes for a change. Once she almost did not run into the curb when she rode in some boots on a rather high heel. She has been more careful since then. She found a music album in the clipboard. By setting the beginning of the disc, she fastened her seat belts so that after a while she would leave the apartment without being aware that a silent squeal of tires woke her brother.  
Breaking through the congested streets of the city of angels, she remembered the way to the nearest salon with telephones. The first point on her list, the purchase of a new smartphone. During her journey through the state, she earned some money by painting self-portraits of people she met who, curious about her skills, asked for her own picture. She must have survived somehow, and drawing seemed the most appropriate. She sometimes worked at a restaurant on the weekend, filled with customers. It was a job for two or three days without a visible contract. She received a little more salary then she expected. Years spent in the orphanage taught her resourcefulness and this month did not cause her much trouble when it comes to financial matters, she was then sure that she would at least have something to eat.  
She was not even aware when she arrived at her familiar place. She changed shoes quickly and closed the vehicle. Walking down the paved sidewalk, she reached the glass door of the branch. Entering the room, it was greeted by the display cases set up on the sides, where various phone models were placed inside. However, she did not look around for any particular, she knew well what she needed. She went to the woman sitting at the counter, who looked up from the computer as soon as she heard her tapping her heels.  
— In what I can help — she asked politely, detaching herself from her work, at that time greeting her.  
— I need a new phone — she explained, sitting down in a high chair — I am also interested in the blockade for a certain phone number — she explained, and the saleswoman listened patiently. — I would like to avoid the situation of discovering my new contact number by undesirable people.  
The woman only nodded her head as if she understood her problem well.  
— Let's start with the selected phone first. Do you have a specific model or do you help me make a choice?  
She spent the next half hour talking to the counselor and claiming her new string of numbers, she wanted to avoid Clark's return to haunt her with her connections with further threats. Confirmed by the woman about the effectiveness of the introduced security, she left the store with a model of a newer phone from Apple, which was launched just a few days ago. Despite the fact that the model has just started to run, despite its fears that it will not receive the previous version of the iPhone, it went out with its new equivalent.  
She got into the vehicle, but she did not leave. She plugged two tiny cards into the device inside. She did not worry about lost photos or videos, she kept all in a special application that was connected with other devices, where she kept her small souvenirs safe. She waited for the phone to turn on. When she saw a new screen with a bright background, she did not look at him carefully, she waited patiently for everything to start. She grabbed her notebook, where she wrote down all her friends' numbers. Entering into contacts, she wrote only one number that was extremely necessary to her. She typed a quick message, not wanting to look at the new feature introduced in this model. She did not have time or head for it. She put the smartphone in the oppression between the gearbox and the dashboard. She fired the vehicle, putting on her sunglasses in the car. It does not belong to her, but she did not like it when the sun shone directly into her eyes.  
When she was parked outside the hairdressing salon, where she often dated, she heard an unpleasant sound of notification. She still had to put everything up. She grabbed the phone, reading the message. She was satisfied somewhat with her interlocutor's reply, but she could not get rid of the impression that she should not go on. However, she had to say firmly no. Putting the phone in her purse, she took out the key from the ignition. Wondering if there is anything urgent to do, she heard the bell ringing over the door as she entered the well-kept room.  
A gentle smile appeared on the lips of one of the young hairdressers who often dealt with her hair. She left the coffers, remaining one of the free employees of the premises.  
— Hello Mrs. Julio — she greeted her, squeezing her hand — What brings you this time? — she asked, leading her to one of the armchairs.  
— Clara asked you so many times to speak my name — she said with a sigh, feeling the dark fabric on her shoulders.  
— It's still difficult for me to get used to it," the hairdresser said calmly — Today, what are we putting at?  
— Naturalness.  
The girl only nodded her head, as if she knew what her words meant. She sat in silence for a moment, but was quickly drawn into the conversation, by the stylist and sitting next to her woman. She could boldly say that she was about thirty years old, and, under the hairdresser's canvas, she saw that she was wearing a summer dress. And she wore plain sandals on her feet. The woman was really nice, she asked her what she was doing, what she did. She could say that typical conversation at the hairdresser. It did not bother her, she preferred to have a meaningless chat with the employees of the premises or clients rather than think about the latest events. She needed it, to tear away thoughts from her problems, even leading a fierce conversation with Clara about the latest fashion cries. In a way, she felt relaxed.  
— How do you like it? — she asked after almost an hour of work on her new hairstyle.  
She stood in front of the huge mirror, looking at herself a little. The hair that was always reaching back to her half, was slightly trimmed, now had its ending behind the shoulder blades. She returned to her natural color, which unusually satisfied her, longed for naturalness, pomimopomimo that she liked to splurge with color or change the shade of hair, she had nothing to her true color. The strands twisted into a delicate wave fell on her shoulder. She had to admit that she looked pretty good in her new hairstyle, even though she had felt a certain contraction when she saw the damaged ends falling on the bright tiles of the living room.  
— It's perfect — she was delighted — How many wages?  
Going to the counter, behind which the cash register was hidden, she took out the wallet from inside the bag. She paid the sum due, picking up a small set of cosmetics, as she learned, the place was celebrating some round birthday today and for all regular visitors gave a gift in the form of a small bag with hair care products.  
She stood at the side of a cobbled street, looking for a restaurant. She was terribly hungry, she also needed a bit of caffeine. Then she threw her starbucks, hidden around the corner, into her eyes. She went through the belts, not even eager to leave the received gift in the car.  
Entering the interior of the bar, her nostrils attacked the smell of sandwiches and coffee. She stood behind some older man in a suit who was anxiously shifting from foot to foot, every now and then looking at his watch wrist. He was clearly impatient with the prolonged waiting time. She, however, stood calmly and waited her turn. She saw after a while like a resigned businessman, leaving the restaurant, making her a place.  
She left the room a few minutes ago, holding a cardboard box in her hand and a small bag with a baguette. She sat at one of the umbrellas, wanting to eat breakfast in peace, and so she did not have to go anywhere, so she used that the place was practically empty, because people were hurrying to work later. Sitting in the created garden in front of the building, she took another bite of a sandwich, where mozzarella cheese dominated, and pieces of ripe tomatoes.  
— Julia?  
A fairly surprised girlish voice reached her. She glanced over her shoulder, trying to figure out whether someone was calling her, or just an illusion created by her mind. She was about to turn away again, when before the crowd of people she noticed the familiar characteristic blonde hair of a young man, a brunette accompanying him, she was even more radiant when she noticed a long-lost friend at one of the tables. Marinette quickened her pace, pulling a slightly absent Agreste with her.  
— Julia! My little sun — a girl with ink hair ran up to her, stretching her arms to hug her. — — Somewhere you've been through this whole time — she began to speak hastily, moving away from her friend's arms.  
It was only then that Adrien understood who his sympathy was talking to, he embraced his friend, greeting her honestly. They accepted the invitation of young Bennington, sitting down to her. The young designer chased her partner for a coffee and a tasty breakfast, then she turned to her best friend.  
— You know what Selena will do to you when he finds out that you've come back. I never saw her so angry when she found out from your brother that you disappeared — she said, like she was shot.  
— I expect everything from her — she took another sip of coffee, watching the restaurant come out, blond with two packages and cups of steaming coffee in a cardboard box.  
He sat down on a spare chair, handing one of the sandwiches to his girlfriend, which she accepted with joy in her eyes. They wanted to use the last two months before Dupain-Cheng would move one month before studying to Milan. Together with Adams, they decided to rent a flat together, with a little help from the parents of the first year students of design and styling. She was unaware that the relationship of one of her friends was going through a crisis. She had so much catching up and so little time. Soon, their group was supposed to travel around universities in the country and abroad, starting their adult life, and for the time being it was left without any papers submitted to universities. Wishing to redefine her life, she preferred to prolong her holidays. She hoped that for the next year she would finally decide to apply for the university she had dreamed of. However, before that happens, she would have to get rid of some of her survivors.  
— Where were you all this time? Marinette repeated her earlier question, swallowing a bite of the second breakfast.  
— I went back to my hometown, then went to Los Angeles.  
— You could at least pick up the phone — said the blond in a voice of contempt, putting the cardboard on the table.  
— Adrien, I threw the phone away — she explained briefly.  
She saw the couple exchanging surprised looks, clearly something was not playing here, and their friend was missing the truth. They knew perfectly well that Julia hid a lot, she never talked much about her life, but her last words aroused strange suspicion in them. They wondered for a moment to continue this conversation and demand explanations, but they decided that this was not the right place for discussions of this type. They had left her a further interrogation so far.  
Spending the afternoon with her friends was a nice escape from her life, which she was slowly tired of. Talking or laughing with Marinette and Adrień, the time at the ice cream shop they went to, she felt like she was when she was not aware of Clark's presence in the metropolis, when she lived like a normal high school girl, worrying only what gossip she would dissolve about her her school rival. It was really nice and nice, and that was what counted.  
Entering the driveway under a modern apartment, she smiled warmly, noticing her brother sitting on the steps leading to the interior of the house, throwing a stick running on the sidewalk and a part of the garden in front of Wilia Anice. Junka lay beside him, basking in the sun, apparently not wanting to play in retrieving. She grabbed the purse and the packaging with the purchase, and the gift she received, left the vehicle. Holding a gray bag in her arms, she walked past the vehicle, stepping closer.  
— Hi — she said hello.  
She watched her, raise her head, a gleam of joy brightened in his dark gaze. She sensed, however, that he was worried that he would not leave him alone again, but when she drove up to one of the two garages in a dark Mercedes, it made his heart sink.  
— Hi young — he threw the stick again, which served to play, when the golden retriever bitch began to rebuke — Where were you? — he asked, watching as a dog, jumps between some bushes.  
— Did not you read the message? — she asked slightly astonished, returning from the apartment after a while, when she put the shopping on the worktop.  
She sat down next to him, hugging her little friend, who seemed a bit lethargic that day and did not want to run for her big companion. She spread comfortably on her thighs, closing her dark blinds. She combed her bright coat, scratching her a bit longer behind the ears.  
— I read — he replied calmly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye —But I was expecting you to sleep until at least ten — they laughed softly at his last words — He gets up and you're gone.  
— I had to get a new phone — she explained — I must have contact with others — she added, then rested her elbow on her knee, hearing the soft snoring of the Maltese who had snoozed on her thighs — What I thought, by throwing this cell into the sea. I could immediately block my number for this jerk, not run away like a coward. Clark is the last trash, I let him lead me like a puppet again — she sighed heavily.  
The musician raised his head when he heard the name that had already caught his eye. He brought back memories of himself one evening when he talked with his sister. This strange phone, the stress of teens or avoiding it.  
— Just tell me one thing, your behavior over the last months, he was the reason for that?  
— Partially yes — she muttered in response — He took an active part in it, but also memories of old life returned to me. I started not to overreact with them and led to the situation as recently — she said sadly.  
She knew that soon she would not be able to forgive her last behavior, which was the height of absurdity. She has gone to a bloody escape, knowing her partner's good grasp, to do anything to somehow bring her to the brink of mental breakdown. To some extent he succeeded, but he was unaware that his ex-girlfriend had once again collided with a terrible reality that allowed her to deal with his lies and his trivial behavior. She decided that this time she would be the queen of their game, and he would push him onto the lost field.  
— I looked at your account today and I did not see you take anything from it — said the singer as they sat in the kitchen, preparing the ingredients for a home-made pizza.  
The teenager she's been making a cake for now. She turned to him and her hands were glued together with ingredients that she combined into a homogeneous mass. There was a bit of flour on her cheeks, which unfortunate slipped out of her hand. But before she flew on the tiles, she managed to catch her, protecting the floor from getting dirty, which, however, she could not say about herself. Previously dressed in an ordinary T-shirt and shorts, they were wearing a little white substance. She stuck her hair in a coca, but a few strands of hair came out of the hook.  
— I did not use a joint account — she explained, going back to kneading the dough — I bought it for my own money.  
— How?  
— I worked as a painter and waitress. I had to get some money for a ticket or food. I did not even know I had enough money to buy a new phone.  
She felt a fairly large ball under the pizzas under her fingers. She sprinkled the top with flour, then wrapped in the foil separated part of the dough, leaving the enough ingredients on two brittle pancakes. She hid the bundle in one of the drawers in the freezer.  
— I see I can not accuse you of being helpless — said the man, replacing the tomato sauce.  
The girl merely nodded, sipping lemonade before she returned to shaping the pizza dough.  
— You've definitely overreacted with Spice — said the eighteen-year-old after ten minutes as she put the ingredients on the raw dough.  
— You like to eat spicy — Chester said a bit, looking sideways at his sister.  
— Because it is, but you tried this sauce.  
She held a white bowl under his arm. She watched him closely as he took a teaspoon of tomato sauce, checking its taste. He winced slightly when she felt the unpleasant burning in her throat. He glanced stealthily at the teenager, supporting his hands on his hips.  
— Indeed, a bit too spicy for me.  
She did not even have to hurry him when he put down the bowl with the bad sauce on the table top and her little help replaced the pizza sauce accordingly. Sitting in the living room half an hour later, they were eating a pre-prepared meal, and the girl looked nervously at her watch hanging on the wall. Another meeting was waiting for her, much more important than a morning conversation with two of her friends.


	47. TOM 2— TAKEN: 03  — BRIDGE OF TWO HEARTS

She stood in the middle of the stone ahead. Large boulders polished by the wind, encouraging them to sit down and gaze at the stunning west or sunrise. The sound of crashing ocean waves crashing in her ears, reminiscent of the powerful strength of mother nature. However, she could not focus her attention on the beautiful scenery surrounding her, views that could amaze her. Even the brightness of the dying ocean was not able to make her admire this beautiful landscape.  
The wind whipped her dresses with the blue as she looked at the silhouette in the distance. She slid from her forehead with strands of her brown hair as her heart beat faster. Did she expect that the meeting she was so afraid of could happen earlier than she thought? Standing here on this pebbly beach, feeling the fear taking over her control again, but this time she did not want to retreat. She could not afford to leave, though the wound that had been made just a few weeks earlier painfully baked, making her rub in a few places, scarlet metallic blood covering her body, almost feeling that odorous red substance on her lips, this time step backwards was not possible. She has withdrawn once, she will not do it a second time. Would she break her promises again? It seems that words are blown away, as if they were not completely meaningful. "Before you pay off the debt of the past, understand that it is not you who are holding this punishment." She clenched her hands into a fist, barely sweeping away the memories of the recent month.  
The time has come to vent your feelings. No longer hide behind in her emotional being, choke in herself to deceive her mind with promises, that her behavior is most properly that she really helps herself. It protects those he loves. However, can you lie to yourself more in the face of recent events. Was she able to hurt herself? Living in the dawn, in which she lied to herself, dislodging her suffering in her chest, it lasted almost all her life, becoming a soulless wreck of a man.  
However, she was allowed to be herself, in which case, why she wants to return to the girl, ready to sacrifice her own heart, to pay her debts to cruel fate again. Commitments to which she was not contributing, she did not enlist them, and yet she must give into the hands of life something much more important than her own savings of life, she had to spare parts of herself. She repaid the loan he had taken! Why? She was not connected with him, why is she still willing to do it? He becomes his slave again.  
She should not do this!  
It changed true? In that case, why is not she dead like an eighteen-year-old who is ready to do anything to punish her persecutors. She could easily lead the least-liked person to the brink of despair? She ceased to be a person who herself punished her demons, she gave them to them again. She let them take over. A strong and independent teenager disappeared to again give her five minutes of eternally frightened seventeen-year-old who played hard, so that no one would notice how it is falling apart.  
It finished it, she was fed up with it.  
However, she was given a second chance to rehabilitate them and let them be trusted again. She knew that she was not prepared for it in the way she would have expected it, but she could not turn back from the path she had taken. She could not look over her shoulder, for if she did, she saw, behind her, the haze and dark vines disappearing in the darkness that obscured the fork of the paths where she made her choice. The decision to live like when she left the orphanage forever, and the smoldering hope for change was alive during the following weeks. She used the opportunity that was given to her.  
However, she was unable to make even the next move, she remained stoned, staring at his figure. The glow of the setting sun enveloped him with its golden glow. She did not know what to do, for the first time, she did not even have the fear to go away. All she knew was that in an instant her life might change into an even worse nightmare than her eternal break with an ex-partner or an oasis of happiness, but she was guided towards the first suggestion. She was afraid, she was so afraid of the next moments.  
She saw her turn slowly towards her. She pursed her lips tightly as she saw this piercing shadow of bitterness and sadness, and joy flowed like ashes in the wind that were not visible in the cloudless sky. It was lost in the distance when it was flying into the air. She realized that she was the reason why the shining glow in the young man's eyes was dying. He ceased to shine with a bright light. She was the perpetrator of someone's resentment, but is this the only time? Perhaps she could bear that the fact that she failed her friends or even her brother's awareness that she had hurt him was overwhelming. She hurt, she hurt, she made some of her soul die.  
— It's you?  
Gently closed her eyes, hearing his voice was devoid of emotion, but what is most wprawiło her stupor, she did not feel in the notes of anger or reproach, what the most afraid. She felt his piercing look at herself, but she could not move.  
They stood there, staring at each other, as if they were surrounded by the coming darkness of night, had no meaning for them. They only counted!  
— Yes — she whispered with difficulty, gathering the strength to perform even the smallest step — I know that a simple "sorry" does not solve all problems, but also does not make you not cease to deceive itself, still telling himself, I took a good I'm going to a bad game, just to protect those I love from what I'm most afraid of. However, I would like you to know that I never wanted to hurt you, but I did something that made me do it. I never wanted you fell in love with the girl by fate hypocritical, full of secrets and the ability to ask someone only disappointment — she said, lowering her head, she wanted to speak further, but the voice stuck in her throat.  
— You finished?  
She raised her head, hearing his firm voice, her heart trembling in her chest, forced herself to look into his dark gaze. She was afraid of rejection, she was afraid of a cry full of outrage, but in her worst dreams she could not imagine what was about to happen. She could hear echoing words from her dark words that had drilled her hole in her mind.  
She was not aware when the only thing she approached was about what she was then able to think about, the deep intensity of his brown eyes, which, almost with long-standing passion and sincere affection, stared at her petite figure. Again she felt like a seventeen-year-old, wrapped up in the sweet lunzie of November evening, lost in her feelings, let herself show her weaknesses for the first time. The disclosure of her desires, which smoldered deeply in her heart, when she allowed someone to intrude into her mind, gave her a chance to know the taste of her lips.  
She followed him with the look of her bright irises, the only thing that gave her a chance to remember the touch of his hand again. She gave him up when he took her face in a gentle embrace. She felt how slowly she pulled away the strands of her auburn hair, she could only feel the skin under his fingers burning her with a living fire, but in no way, she did not want to move away, she could go on to say that it was filled with pleasure for which she missed so much, but she was afraid to admit it. As now, wanting to destroy her chance for love again, just because fate has a bias against her. Because he wanted to test her, put her to the test, which she had to take and emerge victoriously, as if she was aware that even if she asked her the most painful blow she would rise with her head raised proudly and face it, he would not give up, because not in her nature was resignation. Only now she has understood this uneven fight with the guide of all living people. He wanted to know if in the future you can not be deceived, he will not allow himself to stumble and he will be a person with a strong character who will not let you spit in your face.  
She was ready to do so, when she sacrificed herself for the man who had been writing to her, she would pass without difficulty through the next logs, so that she could finally admit to herself that she was happy. Here it was not about the game for her life, it was about the game in which she was supposed to make her joy.  
She was not going to wait now! She did not want to be scared, not today, not in this life! She wanted to re—experience the subtle passion enveloped in the friendship of her loved one. She felt a delicate taste of mint, mixed with a hint of chocolate, her mind haunted the memories of those moments when, without thinking about the consequences of fate, she kissed his lips with love, realizing once again how lucky she was then. Gaining him, winning his love.  
She drowned again in the subtlety of his hot lips, so reminiscent of the moments in which she felt washed out of emotions, strolling through the streets of her hometown, trying to understand if her behavior was right. She tried to convince herself that what she had done was the right solution, but her heart burst from longing, broke into pieces of love, which she decided to deprive herself, just because someone can not understand the meaning of the words end with us. Her lips gently rose upward as she understood how everything she had done was stupid. Laughter hid in her breast when she felt her hand tighten on her waist. She did not protest, did not even intend as he slowly pulled her close to him. She stole another kiss, but she did not mind a thief who took her love to her. She adored this criminals of the crime of true passion and deep feelings hidden in their hearts.  
Reluctantly, when he moved away from her, she could only listen to his further words:  
— I fell in love with a girl secretive. You've become a puzzle that I want to solve every day. I do not want you to change! Destroy the certain reign that brought us together. I love you as you are. I will not believe in some nonsense written about you, in order to change my view of you in a way. Even the weeks in which I did not have the opportunity to see you were only a way in which I fell in love with you — seeing how gently frowns, laughed only adding - Julio does not matter to me if I know your past and secrets, that you try to hide so much, I want you to never lose faith. Even if you make me become just your friend, I will never leave you, even if it will be hard for me to endure the idea that you will love another, leaving me alone. I will never leave you!  
She was not a person who could easily move, but the last words had a huge impact on her. She stood dumbfounded, trying to find out the unknown, but what she could see was only a huge feeling sparkling in his dark gaze of what she had missed over the last weeks. Despite the awareness of his feelings, it was still so unattainable for her, and at the same time stood at hand, allowing him to grasp freely.  
— But I do not want another Mike — she said through her clenched throat, she felt the salty taste of tears that wanted to leave her eyelids, but with great difficulty she stopped them with her — I just want you — she added in a low voice — No one matters to me! I denied it, I tried to destroy it, but I can not. I can not stop loving you! If he let me, he wants to fix his mistake — in spite of the blissful darkness that envelops them, she found his hand, and she wove it with his hand.  
If there was now a light at the end of the second tunnel, paving her way to happiness, when she could grab the proverbial bull by the horns, she did not intend the chasm of this opportunity, because who will he be so happy with, as with him? She did not know the answer to this question and she did not want to get to know it.  
— You should not feel guilty, for all the wrongs of this world — put his hand gently on her cheek — First of all, never hide your feelings — he added, putting on her lips a short kiss.  
— So what now? — she asked, full of apprehensions — I guess I have to forget about friendship? — she said with amusement in her voice, which caused a fit of joy in a young man — I will be left without you.  
— If you want to put it this way, face it when you're standing in front of your boyfriend.  
— You did not even ask me if she wanted to be with you - in her tone of voice you could sense the fake anger.  
He smiled tenderly when he looked at the girl that old Julie in which he fell in love. Her soul returned full of optimism and hope, but he unconsciously felt that it was only the beginning of their common journey, although he was afraid of subsequent stumbles, which he was surely waiting for them to oppose.  
— Let me fix my mistake — with great reluctance, he allowed himself to move it from his arms to sink in the brightness of her bright irises. A look of the blue that he loved so much — The love of my life or do you honor me...  
However, she did not allow him to finish his question, which hung between them. It was unpleasant in any way. A charming smile danced on her raspberry lips as she stole a short kiss from his lips. The joy that so loved in her, which has disappeared in recent weeks, faded like a real girl in her body, absorbed by the problems and troubles with which she had to face. She made a choice that now seemed to her the stupidest, living with what tormented her alone. Man, however, has never been perfect, has committed stupidity, but also has this gift of fate to do everything to fix it all.  
— I think it's time to come back — she said, pulling him from the nostalgia in which he fell.  
He fixed his gaze on it, the glow of the sun had long since faded over the horizon of a slightly rough sea. The black cloak of the sky was enveloped by billions of stars, delightful like particles stuck on a dark fabric that shimmers in the luminous sunlight that reflects the multicolored glow of the rainbow. The shyly creeping moon was fully illuminated by the city of angels immersed in the nightlife. Besieged by young people or students, bars or clubs were bursting at the seams, encouraging young people to spin into lively melodies, played in a large console. They danced with their bodies and moved in subtle steps. Most residents, however, chose peace in the comfort of their apartments, resting after a hard day at work. Students or students were able to sit up late into the night, forgetting to get up early. In spite of the climate that the city spread, they loved it.  
A chill ran through her body, feeling the soft breeze that enveloped her bare shoulders. She stammered the desire to show that she was a bit cold. Maybe it was a trifle, but she did not like to complain, even in such trivialities. She rubbed her hands to warm them up for a moment, which drew Michael's attention, she saw the corner of his mouth slightly rising.  
He removed the fabric of his leather jacket from his shoulders, she wanted to protest. Before she could object, however, a pleasant warmth spread over her body, which warmed her from the inside.  
— You did not have to do it at all — she said calmly when, despite the hardships, they were coming down from the stone beach.  
Earlier change of footwear definitely came to her as she stood between the golden sand in the usual sneakers she decided to wear. She did not want to think what could have happened if her shoes were much taller and on a rather dangerous heel. Darkness enveloped them from everywhere and only the lanterns smoldering around the road illuminated the part of the beach, subsequent waves of water were breaking on the shore, washing the coast. She loved to walk along the ocean shore, when she felt fresh streams of water on her feet. Through the darkness she looked at the restless sea, lit only by stellar lanterns, so desperate to immerse herself in a pleasant mood.  
— I know, but I did — he replied with a glint in his eye, holding her hand in a firm grip as she carefully placed her feet on the lower boulder, after a while to be safely on the hard ground.  
He saw in the dim light an unpleasant shadow of fear as she looked away from one of the alleys. He was still unaware that walking at night made her a problem. Even though she had not seen the problem before, she almost loved to wander around the city at night, from the moment her former partner attacked her sexually enough, she was afraid of each night. She knew his steps too well to achieve the goal of letting go so easily. He liked to ask her unconscious pain, it disturbed her, but whether she was ready to say it.  
She clenched her fingers tightly on his wrist as she heard an unpleasant murmur. She thought in her head that she had to be sensitive to every sound again. The night spent in the city, when she left her brother's home, is also not quiet, she fell into a hysterical, which she could not control herself, and it still seemed to her that someone was following her. But every time she did it, she did not see anything there. Dead emptiness. She was sick of it already. She wanted to go calmly, not afraid that someone would fall behind the nearby bushes, a person with steel eyes.  
She was pleased that her friend did not notice her sudden confusion. She knew that it was hard for her to come to her next lie or conceal the truth, but she was not sure how she had acted if he saw her fear. She was not sure what mechanism would work, which is probably the most important thing. She could stay in the offensive or defend herself. Two options left.  
The noise of passing cars broke her from lethargy as they stood on the paved sidewalk. She looked up, staring at Mike, far away from them. She could not hide the gentle smile that covered her lips when she understood what had just happened. All fears of rejection, break of friendship with her, the wind still fading by the sea. She regained it! He gave her a chance, and nothing else mattered to her, to be able to apologize and explain why she made that decision. However, although she has not said anything yet, and since her return has passed a week, now it was enough to encourage her to reveal the secrets with which she lives.  
She grabbed his hand, this time it did not escape his attention. The smile that lurked on his lips was enough proof to her that she was not upset with her for the last weeks. The feeling of guilt was consumed by her, when still in her mind there were worse and worse scenarios of their meeting, which despite her wildest expectations did not go as she imagined, and much better.  
The pleasant silence that prevailed made the atmosphere even more relaxed if it could still be so. The unconscious reached eighteen-year-olds at the door of the apartment. The lights in the whole apartment dimmed, enveloping the dull silence, interrupted only by the breaths of two tetrapods lying on the fluffy carpet in front of the bright fireplace in the living room.  
A delicate glow of garden lights lit up a bit of their silhouettes in the dark. The teenager reached into the pockets hidden in the dress, taking out a bunch of keys. She saw the amazement on her partner's face, which caused her to have a fit of silent laughter.  
— Pocket in the dress? — he was surprised when the jaw of the twisting lock sounded.  
— Why not? — She shrugged, still leaving the door closed —The perfect solution for the lack of a purse — she added with a laugh — Will you come in? — she asked, leaning against the nearby wall, hiding the key again in the depths of the hidden pocket in her creation.  
— Not today — he replied.  
She frowned at his refusal. She did not expect such an answer, but did not want to interfere in it. Was it strange that she wanted to keep him for a short while. Despite the moments spent on the beach, she felt unsatisfied. Recent weeks have meant that she was missing his company, even the usual conversation, which made her extremely happy. However, she could not have everything when she found out about his departure to England, she could only wait until he came back. She sighed quietly, then took out and found a small piece of paper that she carried half-wore, handing it to him.  
— What is it? — Asked slightly surprised, developing the paper.  
The sequence of nine digits stretched the whole length. He frowned, slightly astonished. He looked up to look at the girl who leaned against the walls of the building with ease.  
— You changed the number?  
— Yes, I was forced to do it — she said with a sigh — This is not a time for explanation, I will tell you only that I had a reason to do so — She did not look down, though she was still staring at him, though her heart was pounding in her chest.  
He did not intend to behave like other girls not being able to look at the faces of his life partners when they were afraid of something. Life taught her to be proud, but sometimes it was difficult for her. She chased away the intrusive thoughts, she did not want to make herself more sad. She suffered enough.  
—Not excluded, tiny.  
She watched him slowly approach her. She felt her hand sliding slowly across her waist, pulling her closer to her body. A thrill of pleasure spread over her body as the touch of his long fingers almost burned her, but this feeling was unpleasant in any way, she could boldly draw her closer, want more, but reason again showed when he made her painfully aware that everything should be earned. But how could she do it? She did not ask too much for the awareness that the next day she would wake up with a sense of joy embracing her body, reading or writing a message to the one she loved with a simple request to spend a nice day, even if they were not with them. Small gestures that they enjoy.  
— Before I go I have to pick up a reward.  
She could not ask for the meaning of his request, but before she could even think, her nostrils struck the pleasant smell of his perfume and the smell of the sea. She died in the subtlety of his kiss. However, she could not enjoy this passionate caress for a long time. She muttered in disgust as he moved away from her. She felt a slight disappointment, but she did her best not to show it, unfortunately her efforts were in vain.  
— I'm not happy myself, but I have a few important meetings tomorrow that I need to prepare for.  
She stifled bitterness, which painfully poured over her body like a poison that destroys everything good. She clung to him, hugging him firmly, not wanting this parting. Saying good-bye to Mike always came to her with difficulty, even earlier, she was aware that now it would be even harder for her. However, she had no choice.  
— I know — she sighed softy — I know your job well — she added, freeing himself into his embrace, looking at him for the last time.  
— I promise that we will spend the weekend together.  
— Never make promises that you will not be able to fulfill — he reminded him of his own words that had once led her.  
— It was not a promise of beauty, only a fact that would hapten — he replied, then stole her last kiss.  
— Now I have to answer — I hold you by my word, "she replied with amusement.  
— No — his tone suddenly became serious, and suddenly her good mood suddenly faded.  
She looked at him full of fears, which were not so nice, she stared in amazement as the well-known glitter of her glared in his gaze.  
— Just let me know that you can not escape anywhere.  
— I will not do it — she said, seeing his sharp but affectionate look — I love you and I have reason to stay here.  
She did not think that the farewell would be so difficult, and at the same time she would like to extend it. However, she had to give him a go. She looked for a moment as she disappeared behind the black gate, and it stunned the sound of the bustling city.  
Bitterness filled her heart as she pressed the handle to enter. She sat on the edge of the dresser, resting her knees on her thighs, staring at one of the pictures hanging on a bright wall. She could not believe her happiness! She just got involved with a man who had stolen her heart just a few months ago during the holidays, despite her fears and fears that were in her, she felt damned happy. The joy filled her from head to foot and even the consciousness of her former partner was not able to destroy her well-being. She was sneaking bright sneakers off her feet, throwing them away into the hallway, not caring for them, hidden in the open closet, with a huge mirror. She looked at the reflection in the pane of the distorting mirror. She saw a girl in her, a slightly frightened teenager, afraid of tomorrow, but extremely joyful with the thought that he would take another battle, bring out a war, knowing that he has a rifle for whom to stand in the trenches of his problems and face them, and above all, to give him suffering, make him a victim, and she who causes pain.  
She pulled out the vibrating phone that she had hidden in her dress. She looked at the screen that was shining with a bright light, displaying the message. She ran her finger over the tempered glass to read its contents. She ran a quick glance over the phone's screen, uncertain of this information, but the corner of her mouth twitched up as she read with more words, her private conversation with her friend. A friend that no one knew! She replied quickly to him from the cupboard. Going down to the living room, she received another notification, but this time she did not read it at once, not wanting to wake up her pet. She crossed the threshold of the kitchen, picking up from the saucer earlier made muffins with flecks of chocolate, which he loved to eat her brother. She pulled lemonade out of the fridge. She found a large glass in the cabinet, pouring a transparent substance inside. She drank some slightly acidic water, passing through the living room again, glanced at Junka, who was dozing on the couch, and turned away from her, dreaming away.  
She climbed the illuminated stairs, crossing the corridor. She opened her arm with the bright wood of the wing, typing letters with little difficulty on the touch pad. Illuminated by a tiny room lamps, he left in an amazing atmosphere. Miraculously, she reached one of the bags of sako, not stumbling between the time of writing the message. She put the glass down with water on the table top and finished the content of her speech without difficulty. She put down the phone and then buried herself in a pouffe, closing her eyes. She was not aware of how the king of dreams took her to her own land, and there was a short message from Michael on her display.


	48. TOM 2— TAKEN: 04  — THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME, MIKE

She jumped up suddenly when the calm melody of the incoming notification broke into her consciousness. She muttered quietly, but her moan of despair was suddenly suppressed. She was not at first sure what was going on and where she was when her nostrils were filled with the subtle scent of men's perfumes that were not as intense as they had last night. The smile gently wandered on her lips, feeling familiar touch, but she still stubbornly believed that everything she feels is only a product of her fairly vivid imagination. She was unable to remember the evening she had had the pleasure of spending with her partner, she was too lethargic to let the memories of her heavy mind. Mornings have always been hard for her, especially on days like today. Saturday morning promised to be perfect, when dreaming in her own country, she dreamed of certain familiar brown eyes, she was brutally awakened by the sound of a text message.  
She opened her eyelids slowly, but it seemed to her the most difficult thing to do, like a trivial little, but she barely repelled the remnants of dreams from her, suppressing the flow of dissatisfaction, how much she did not like to get up in the morning. She cursed in her head the person who had to contact her right now, as she slept peacefully all night for over a week. She rose slightly when she understood the position she had fallen asleep. Joy settled on her lips when she saw Michael's sleepy face under her. A murmur of contentment crossed his clenched lips. She felt her hands tighten on her waist, desiring greater closeness to her warm body. It still seemed a bit unreal to her. For over two weeks, she could live in a happy relationship with which she fell in love with the man on this December evening. She did not expect from the fate of the gift in the form of his love. With time, she realized that it was impossible to have love with a boy who could be charmed. However, the problems she struggled with suddenly fell silent, which really surprised her. From the moment she decided to be with Mike, the attacks of her former partner had ceased, she could be calm that she would not be waiting for her in some dingy alley, arranging a plan of revenge in her head. It was unbelievable. She did not delude herself that he gave up. Clark did not belong to such people. He could withdraw in the least expected moment and return at the moment he would not have expected. He loved playing the chameleon, which adapts to the surrounding environment. She hated it in him. She never saw when he could wait for his attack, it kept her awake. However, she decided that she would not worry about it, she preferred to take care of her blossoming relationship and the burden in her heart, which she wanted to get rid of, but she still could not begin this conversation. Somehow she was sure it would help her, but years of loneliness had taught her to deal alone with troubles.  
A cold shudder ran through her hand as she met the bright oak of a dresser standing nearby. She raised herself slightly, not to wake up the musician dreaming at her, she finally felt the familiar touch of glass under her fingertips. She clamped them on the edge of the caller at the same time. She shifted the green receiver when she saw a picture of her friend. She sighed in a whisper, finding herself again in the embrace of her boyfriend when she put the phone to her ear.  
— Tony, do you realize what time it is? — She murmured as her eyes slowly closed again.  
A silent male laugh spread across the room, making her think of scolding him at the earliest opportunity for such an early phone call. She wanted a bit of peace when the nights returned to her, in which she had to bother with her own mind, which, like the best-acclaimed alcohol, made her sleepy nightmares, in which the main role was played by demons who were so afraid. Yesterday evening was a kind of rest for her from these tiring days, but he was drastically interrupted by a twenty-two-year-old who blew up to her.  
— Forgive me — she heard remorse in his voice — You speak surprisingly quiet — He got interested in her rather low timbre of voice, which she did not want, raise even by an octave.  
She did not want to wake Shinoda. He could not stand it when he was torn from the depths of his land in the least expected way, explaining it to him with insignificant words. He was terribly irritated, and she preferred to avoid it. She loved to look at his smile, not the grimace of dissatisfaction that was on his lips.  
— I can not speak louder — she said, glancing stealthily as the man moved uneasily, as if he sensed he was not dreaming anymore — I'm not alone — she whispered, letting the man's arms wrap her around her waist.  
Focused on a conversation with a friend, she carefully looked at the wall hung on one of the walls, which indicated a few minutes before the seventh wound, the murmur of silent depropathy flashed through her mouth. It took just a few days to forget how Anothny was so painful at this early hour. He was always the person who pulled her out of bed to take her to some old forts on holiday days. Nobody had any idea about the relationship between her and Brown. They did not show too much sympathy for themselves. At the orphanage, they considered them colleagues who were always arguing about something. Honestly, she would not take it that way. They looked at them through their rather cold relations, then played like masters, telling everyone that they had nothing in common. The truth was completely different. The twelve-year-old who had helped her had meant too much to her that she would lose him. He was like an older brother for her, when she did not know the secret of the Bennington family.  
She remembered the day when she met Anthony, he was a boy, just like her abandoned at the threshold of this orphanage, but there was no message or documents that could explain her personal details. Black emptiness. One of the babysitters, who dealt with newborns, loved to talk to him Tony, which gave him the name Anthony Brown. They lived so peacefully next to each other, not even dreaming that in a few years, the teenager would help deal with the problems of a younger friend. She would be able to forget her part of the afflictions of her soul. If it was not for him, she was still wandering around Phoenix, trying to destroy the pangs of conscience that plagued her after leaving the city of angels. No one had any idea that this young man was aware of all the problems of teenage Julia. She did not have to hide anything from him. As soon as he saw her in a place where they had previously met as children, he understood that her life was again ruined by some jealous former partner. Although he forced her to confide in her, she did not feel good about hiding all her emotions and feelings about her biological brother and her close friends. She could say that Anthony almost forced her to return to her family. A brother that she should never leave and a man she loved.  
— I will not disturb you. I'd like to meet you today.  
— Okay, we'll get together at twelve o'clock, give you the address of the cafe, where we'll see each other — she explained, anxiously, glancing at Michael to make sure he was still asleep. She was relieved when she saw his face hidden in her arms.  
— See you — he said goodbye in a hurry, after a while there was a characteristic quilting, which announced the ending of the connection.  
With one click she blocked the phone's screen going out. She did not pay attention to the unread text message that crossed the display of the device with the signature of her brother. Clenching her fingers on the device, she carefully laid it down on the bright top of the dresser, wishing to return to the land of eternal dreams. Something did not let her eyes narrow. A pleasant thrill of excitement ran through her body, feeling the sweet siphon of small kisses. She tried to hide her smile, but she could not resist it.  
— You do not think that pretending to be a sleeper will help you — she said in a low voice.  
Slightly the corner of her raspberry lips, she rose upward when she saw the familiar glow of the dark irises and the characteristic smile she so adored. Pleasant laughter spread in the slightly darkened living room. Sheaves of light struggled to get through the closed shutters in the living room. They did not give in, but they only stubbornly pursued their goal. It was a futile effort for them, because two young lovers were hugging their shadow, resting on a huge couch in the middle of the living room.  
— Apparently I have to take some acting lessons from Chester — he laughed, hovering a bit on his elbows. He leaned his arm against one of the cushions, looking down at his beloved with glances.  
— Not excluded — she replied calmly, leaning against the headboard.  
She put her feet over his thighs, letting them rest on the edge of the mattress where she sat. Surreptitiously, she looked at the grimace of dissatisfaction that ran through Michael's face, he was clearly unhappy that she did not want to hug him, what she allowed herself to do when they had the opportunity to be alone. No one had any idea that they'd been meeting each other for more than a few days. They did not lie to their friends, but they did not share this tiny detail with their relationship, which has undergone a huge change. They did not feel the need to reveal that friendship between two people turned into something more durable. Even if it seems the least expected, they will not mind. Life was full of puzzles. With friends, they maintained their relationships as always, well-ranged friends with this small substitute of romanticism to which they were used.  
— Though here — his words sounded a bit like the command she was supposed to do.  
She laughed softly, she could almost perform such a small order with pleasure. She did not feel dominance or other negative feelings in it, only the desire to get closer to him, what he missed or missed, during those years of living in loneliness. It may seem strange, but the fate through previous relationships checked them if they are able to love someone with an extremely different personality or even the past. However, could she say that Mike was so different in her personality from her. He liked to joke about what she loved him for, but he was able to keep his distance and approach reasonable matters seriously. He used to be an oasis of peace, which he valued at his partner, but when the situation was such, he could put his own and be a person who does not tolerate objections, even a slight insult to someone close to him was taken very seriously. She found the man she was waiting for in him. Her previous relationships were always lacking something that made her feel unhappy enough, now that she could share her shared path with Shinoda, she felt she could be calm with him without worrying about her safety. However, she could not feel this whole, she still had to be vigilant. Watch out for a boy with a cool steel look.  
She quickly rejected the thought. She did not want to ruin the morning, thinking about her former partner. She humbly approached Michael, leaned her cheek against his shoulder, gently closing her eyes, felt her gently, tighten her hands on her thin waist, she could feel her soot in her lap. A murmur of contentment broke through her lightly clenched lips. If she was to be honest. Living in a sense of good and bad touch was a bit difficult for her. For a long time she had to convince herself to just patting her back, it was a problem for her, but she did not show it. From the moment she gained some confidence and the fact of looking at her brother, how he was open to everyone, it allowed her to get rid of her prejudices, not quite, but she did not see people in people who want to hurt her. She approached them with reserve, carefully watching them, to assess their later realities to be able to open. Her relationship with Mike was different from the very beginning. He was somewhat lost in sadness and bitterness after parting with his ex-wife, who prepared for their marriage the life of a mendacious partner who was able to do anything to achieve his goal. She did not know much about her, as much as she heard from Chester's story and the rest of the peasants, who were clearly detached to her, could easily conclude that Mrs. Shinoda was a person whose quite adamant character did not match Michael's calm character. After one of the conversations with the musician, one or more irrelevant details made her wonder why Smith returned to her maiden name, she asked her brother, who told her that her former rapper's partner did not take his name after marriage, was interested. She could not understand the woman, but she had the impression that her personality would ideally suit Clark Kent's hypocritical and domineering personality. She was the perfect couple. At the thought, she laughed softly, which caught her boyfriend's attention. She felt the touch of his fingers that moved slowly across her cheek to tighten on her chin. He forced her to look deep into his dark eyes, did not even feel the need to turn away, just sink in that warm gaze.  
— What's so funny? — He asked, not even paying attention to the passage of time.  
The electronic numbers on their phones were precisely eight o'clock, they were unaware of the passing minutes they had spent entangled in their grasp.  
— Do you really want to know? — She asked carefully.  
Mike, despite his separation, still reacts badly to Taylor, or any suggestions related to a young woman. She found out more about it, so she preferred not to touch this topic, she avoided it, as well as talking about her former partner.  
— Yes!  
She sighed quietly at his consent.  
— I thought how Taylor and mine were fit together. A pair full of lies and eternal domination — she added, looking carefully at the brunet, fearing his reaction, but what surprised her, that he accepted it calmly.  
— You mean Clark?  
— Yes — she explained — He is full of lies, like her, quite heavy character. I do not know your ex—wife's personality more closely, but I think they would either end up in bed or in the cemetery because one of them killed each other.  
— That's why you do not want to talk about him." He saw a certain flash in her eyes go out in memory of her first love.  
— It's not Mike that he does not want to talk about him. Previously, I would probably deny it, she did everything just to not talk about it, now I do not know how to take up this topic. Clark was my first love. The fourteen-year-old mentality charmed herself with a boy who seemed to be perfect, she was ruined when he showed his real face — she said it quietly, almost in a whisper.  
She saw that this conversation would not pass her anyway, and finally she decided to return to the metropolis, which was one of the reasons. She had to break through and confess her memories. The heart quickened its rhythm every time she met Clark in her path. She clenched her hands tightly into fists until the knuckles of her fingers turned white.  
— Julia, maybe the moment came to stop hiding it and reveal the truth. Do not get me wrong. I do not want you to continue to struggle with it alone.  
— Maybe you're right.  
She looked at him, not even knowing what she expected, whether she sought subconsciously. She closed her eyelids, taking a deep breath to calm down a bit. She did not want to extend it anymore. If they were to be in a relationship, it did not make sense to hide it from him. She grabbed his hand, which he placed comfortably on her thigh. Maybe it was strange, but the way it allowed her to calm down.  
— I met him on a Spanish course. He went to the same classes as me. We had to do the project together, I do not remember exactly what he was talking about. We often met while doing this task, I was still inexperienced or in some way approximate to these love topics. I was stupid then, blinded myself in a boy who seemed to me a perfect disposition. He could not be accused of lack of appearance. He was handsome and attracted the opposite sex, which he effectively used.  
She was happy that Mike did not interrupt her in any way, he sat and patiently listened to her story. She valued it, she hated it when someone interfered with his two pennies. He was a faithful listener. She improved slightly, continuing her story:  
— I can say that the beginning of our relationship seemed like a goddamn perfection. Meetings, gifts or just showing tenderness. Unfortunately, I was a girl who did not have her parents with her who could warn her about her loss. Then one time I regretted that my mother abandoned me. Maybe she would save me from it. Parents are always skeptical about their children's first relationships. At the children's home, they do not pay much attention to it. They are not even interested — she paused for a moment, looking absently at one of the paintings.  
She cleared her throat after a moment, then went on:  
— My image of the first relationship lay in ruins, I remember how today — abstained from its history.  
An unpleasant feeling spread across her chest as she recalled the memory of that innocent encounter with Clark in his home. Sitting under the blanket, she wondered through crying where she had made a mistake that he had treated her in such a hideous way. She tried to blame herself for his active, telling herself that she was guilty of it, not knowing that the problem was not lying in her and her partner's heart. She cried all night, would then be crushed to return to him with stupid apologies, for which she got a painful lesson anyway.  
— He invited me to him. It's like a meaningless evening. What could have gone wrong? — she said when she saw him opening his mouth to say something — I remember that we were lying on his bed at the time, the usual hugs ended up for me dropping me from this damn mattress and severe beating. Please, do not interrupt — she reminded him, sensing that he was not delighted with these words — I came back one day later, I made the worst mistake, taking all the blame for yesterday's meeting. It's not me who should apologize to him, and he. Unfortunately, I was stupid. From that moment my nightmare began. I hid the traces of his anger under long clothing, I especially blew my hair to cover the bruises under my eyes. In a word, my relationship turned into a tyranny. I did not understand for half a year that I was not the person who destroys our relationship, and he. I woke up, woke up after a certain shock, which even told me to break free of this toxic knowledge. It was not easy, but I succeeded. Unfortunately, my ex-husband does not like to keep his hands on him — she saw her look at her surprised — he attacked me in the park at night - moments of that huge fear were still reflected painfully in her mind. She never remembered being as angry as she had on this memorable night when she broke up a few hours earlier.  
— Did he try to pick you up? — the question that so intimidated him, finally left his lips. He was apprehensive about her answer. However, he had to know the whole truth.  
— Not one time — she laughed dryly, feeling her tear run down her cheek.  
She looked away to avoid looking into his eyes. Not that she was afraid, but she did not want him to see how difficult it was for her to talk about the whole situation, which may seem so banal and easy, it did not belong to them.  
— Do you remember the day when I came home crying when Chester was fed up with my behavior? — she gained courage in herself, raising her head. He nodded gently as he remembered that afternoon — Please, do not judge me, after what you hear, I did not want that!  
Talking about the nightmare associated with her former partner, she felt a strange calmness in her, which she never felt at the mere mention or imagination of this conversation.  
— For a few months I lived in peace when I was leaving the Phoenix border, I thought that it would not appear in my life anymore. I was wrong. He found me! He was blackmailing me! Threats have become everyday life, whether in the form of a text message or innocent meetings. I started to be scared of myself. I started to run, not from you, I wanted to find myself as far as I could. Clark changed me again into a frightened teenager who was about to submit to him. I will not cheat on you. Many times he even told me to move to him to be able to fulfill his sick fantasies. I did not agree what made him even more angry. That day, I was coming back from school, unfortunately he had to find me — she said it with such calmness that she would not suspect himself — He dragged us to some dingy street and quite literally showed me what he thought about me and my wretched attempts to call from him — his face She was pale with rage, but he did not even dare to interrupt her — After all this I understood that I had to protect you, the photos were just a confirmation of my beliefs. I could not lose you. Kent is capable of everything! He caused Justin to get scared of me and leave me at the earliest opportunity. What could I do? I preferred to lose you than to look like Clark, turning your life into a hell. I know his ways, and I know that he eventually led to the fact that even Chester would leave me.  
— Why did you run away? — he interrupted her further statement.  
— Yes — she sighed quietly — Clark is one of those goddamn demons. It will not subside until it reaches its goal.  
She clenched her lips tightly, now that she revealed everything, now she waited for the day when her seemingly peaceful life would fall into ruin. He will leave her because he can not deal with it, just like her previous boyfriend. He behaved like a coward, but she did not intend to judge him. He got scared that it was understandable. Clark was a goddamn evil!  
She looked at him anxiously, and her heart trembled with uncertainty as he watched her closely. A warm smile brightened his lips as he understood how his girlfriend was frightened, afraid of his rejection. When he finally got to know one of her secrets, it made him want to protect her with all his strength. He did not even intend to look at the boy who looked mentally unbalanced. His futile attempts to discredit Julia in his eyes will not stop his faith in the girl.  
He wrapped her in a firm grip, felt slightly unsteady, hugging his side, which made him want to do anything to help her.  
— One is still wondering — said the teenager, after a long moment, looking up — Where did he get your address?  
— Do not think about it! Not relevant. Photographs have long been burned, and I will never believe that you had to work as a prostitute. This is the greatest absurdity I've ever encountered!  
She looked at him with appreciation, she lifted herself gently in his arms, putting a short kiss on his lips, which did not satisfy the man who stood above her. He grabbed her by the shoulders just like on a hurricane day. The tense atmosphere quickly disappeared as she laid her legs around his side. She lost herself in the subtlety of this caress, she could not help it, that he somehow made her addicted. It seems to be a dangerous drug, but she did not want to stop this addiction, she just wanted to get drunk in it, feeling the passion that connected them. Her eyelids dropped down as she slowly moved her hands over his neck so that he could brace his hands.  
Unfortunately, the romantic atmosphere was quickly interrupted when the calm sound of the melody of the incoming notification reached them. Reluctantly, she moved away from his hot and emotionally warm lips, when she realized that someone was getting to her again. She moaned long, her forehead resting on his shoulder. She did not even bother to pick up the headphones. All she could do was feel Mike lift his hand, grabbing her ringing phone. He looked at the flickering display to see the picture of his eighteen-year-old brother.  
— Who is calling? — She asked, not even laughing to get up, she was too good in his embrace.  
— Chester.  
She murmured full of dissatisfaction. She forgot to tell Elder Bennington that she would not be home. She probably worries and thinks where she is. It was not at all the opposite, because she behaved similarly, if someone close to him had escaped earlier, and now disappears for the whole night, not even giving a sign that he is sleeping in someone else.  
She picked up the device from the man's hand. She moved the green receiver, putting the phone to her ear.  
— Young, where are you? You have not been there all night!  
She sneaked a glance at Mike, who seemed to read her intentions, nodded gently, and she broke off her brother's monologue.  
— Chester, calm down! — she raised her voice slightly to reach the word - I'm at Mike's.  
— What are you doing to him? — he was surprised.  
— Nothing, we watched the movie and fell asleep. I'm sorry I did not write you a message.  
— Okay, just come back!  
She heard a distinct relief in his voice. The awareness that his sister spent the night at a trusted friend gave him optimism and calmness. At least he was aware that she was not wandering alone in the streets of the metropolis after dark.  
— I will be up to two hours and so I am appointed.  
— Tell Mike not to be in a hurry to come to the studio.  
She said good-bye to him, when the call ended, she threw the phone to the other side of the sofa. She looked at the musician who was studying her, which did not escape her attention when his face changed when he heard that he was going to a meeting. However, he did not say a word. He did not want to be inquisitive. He did not want it to be perceived in a bad way, but the trauma still remained in him, after the devious lies of a former partner who had used him in a rather perfidious way. However, he could not look back, but create a successful relationship with the girl who gave him proof that he would never go to a lie to use his naivety for his purpose. She was a person who was to sacrifice her joy for the people she trusted. She protected because she loved!  
Before he could think, however, she came down from his knees, grabbed his hand, pulling him up.  
She stole his quick kiss on the cheek, and he let him lead him to the squad room, hearing her grumblings of dissatisfaction that he was useful for taking some pictures. They did not have to argue for a long time what to choose to eat. They were almost in agreement, choosing to prepare plain scrambled eggs with toasts. However, it was not without a calm preparation of the meal, interspersed with joyful laughter as she tried to escape his kisses or reprimands when he stole more ingredients for a tasty meal. Could he imagine greater happiness than spending the whole morning with his love.


	49. TOM 2— TAKEN: 05  — HE STAYED WITH ME WHEN EVERYONE TURNED AWAY FROM ME

She climbed up a spiral staircase, looking around at the cafe. The place mixing in the city center attracted not only the interior kept in a bit modern, but very cozy. You could forget about hard and uncomfortable chairs, where you could not sit for hours discussing with your friends. Comfortable poufs and sofas were placed under the painted white paint of the cafe walls, floral motifs filled the free space, where you could not see the shelves or scratches for the furry ones here. She discovered these restaurants quite recently, and although her love for dogs was enormous, she also loved hearing pleasantly purring, or felt soft fur of those small tame pets on her skin. She looked at one of the corners, where she often sat, reading a book or simply drawing, this place allowed her to relax. She sat in a comfortable dark sack, which immediately adapted to her, she muttered contented, putting the bag on the edge of a bright table.  
She did not have to wait too long for the taller figure of the young man to stand on the edge of the wooden stairs, the brown gaze hidden under the dark glasses was searching for a familiar face. A warm smile lit his face as he saw her. With his free movement, he removed the dark frames from his nose, slipping them into his molded raven-black hair that beat his eyes.  
— Julia, how nice to see you — the glory of his joy, until it shines at the corners of his eyes.  
She lifted herself up from comfortable cushions that were so comfortable that it was a pity to get up. Silent laughter full of contentment flashed through the lips of the young man. He held out a hand to her, which she quickly squeezed, letting herself get up. He kissed her on the cheek, to her amusement. Again she hid in a soft armchair, making room for a former friend with whom, despite many difficulties, she loved to meet. She valued every moment with him because they did not know when exactly they would be able to afford another meeting. They shared kilometers of the road, the moments in which they could meet were invaluable to them.  
— May I take your order?  
She raised her head, hearing a woman's voice full of warmth and joy. A woman stood before them, wearing a black apron, and on a bright powder pink T-shirt a name tag Nathalie was attached. She looked surprisingly young, she could go on to say that she was her age, her dark blond curls tucked into a tight coca from which two pink strands fell on her forehead. The cafeteria uniform was impeccably neat, and the heels on the delicate heels did not let her feet get tired so much. She clenched her fingers on the edge of the notebook bound in a black cardboard, looking at the student and his friend.  
— Two large lattes, please — said Brown, knowing his friend's taste well.  
The waitress wrote his order, then disappeared around the corner when she saw new customers, leaving the two young people alone.  
— Tony, you're too formal — the girl laughed when her attention was drawn to the boy who followed the alluring blonde — When will you find a girlfriend? — she asked curiously — I have not seen you with anyone since... — she put her hand on her chin, tapping her cheek with a finger — Four years.  
— I told you, no one wants me.  
The sad expression of his dark eyes hurt her. Tony was a person who did so much for everyone around him, even for her, but he himself was not so lucky, especially in finding the only one he could meet after a hard day at the university. They could sit in the privacy of a home bonfire, watch a comedy or go to a party with friends. Though his life was seemingly out of place, he missed something. A student of the last year of computer science and technology lived a peaceful existence, working, in a casual way, in a computer company as an assistant to the main IT specialist. Maybe the wage was not too delightful and barely enough for him to survive the whole month, but she knew his plans to start a computer company well. From childhood, he had a flair for computers, he was a small expert in this field at their orphanage. When something broke down in the system or a laptop fell, usually a small genius was called, everyone knew perfectly well that he would deal with it. With age, his skills have expanded considerably, which allowed him to write the first scripts of his game. When she talked to him about it, he mentioned that the game was completed, now he was looking for some producers who would help him promote his product. She had to admit that even though she could not tolerate strategic-military games, she managed when he let her test her.  
— Stop pitying Tony — she scolded him — What you miss, you're handsome, kind, talented, you know what it means to take care of a woman, just a little confidence.  
— And who says it, a girl who just two months ago rejected the guy, because some mollusc with an offended ego, can not imagine that you finished with him.  
She winced slightly at his words, that's true. She made a mistake and although she admitted to him and knew that the solution she had taken was not right, she hated it when she remembered it, and what was worse said to her, but she was aware that he was not doing it for a bad purpose, he had made her aware of what she was doing wrong, and though she felt the pain of his words underneath, she knew everything was directed at her good.  
— I do not know what came over me to do it, how stupid I was — she murmured, accepting a glass filled with an aromatic drink from the restaurant staff.  
She thanked her with a nod as the girl left, taking care of the other guests. She took a sip of a warm caffeinated drink, which satisfied her immensely. She opened her mouth, ready to speak when a bright ball fell into her lap. Loud meowing escaped through the small body of a kitten that jumped into her thighs. Arico, because that charming boy was like that, he was her frequent guest when she visited this place. In spite of the many people he met, Kitty was attached to her, and only a few visits to this cafe were enough.  
— Hello, little one — She put her hand to his back, sliding his fingers over his soft fur.  
The British murmured louder, stretching along the dress she was wearing today, stroking him, again turning to a longtime friend.  
— You were in love with sun, but you chose the wrong guy — said Anthony — I hope you are happy now — he added, his gaze fixed on the bracelet she was wearing.  
It was the same jewelry she had received from Michael for her eighteenth birthday. She told him a bit about her life when she spent most of her time in Phoenix on her escape, although they often talked, it could not bring them discussion when they met face to face.  
— Who told you that I'm meeting someone — she did not trust.  
— How long do we know each other? I know why you came back to Los Angeles and he was one of the reasons why you decided to come back. If you did not talk to him, I would see you again in Arizona, wanting to get away from this nasty gull who poisoned your life. Today's phone has guided me that you spent the night with whom. He admits, I was not sure who he is, but seeing after your satisfaction and joy, you did something.  
"You know me too well," she chuckled softly. "She wants to let herself be free until Clark is absent in my life," she explained.  
She grabbed the edge of the glass, put the cup to her lips, taking a sip of a brown substance. Carefully, she tipped her to the edge of the table when she felt at her feet as something soft brushed against her calves. She looked down, noticing the bright color of the cat who mewed long.  
— You are too critical for yourself, you have so much untapped potential, goodness or warmth that you do not allow yourself to be free. Look, even cats like you — he said.  
He leaned forward, grabbing the cat that was huddling in her legs, which he sat on the pillow next to her thighs.  
— Anthony, you know how to people from an orphanage, it is difficult to trust. It took me a few months to find out for my brother, it's not easy — she sighed deeply — What should I do? — she asked.  
The man looked at her long, only did not understand her words or behavior, but the student clearly understood her perfectly. He adjusted the shirt collar he wore, then stared at her charming look. There was an unusually bright blue reflected in her eyes, he could attract the attention of not one amateur. He could not see that from the moment when the life of his long—time friend changed for the better, she let off the dirty clothes of fairy-tale Cinderella, and her wardrobe was filled with many colorful shirts or various clothes, defining her beauty, he could not resist the impression that They had recently spent time in Phoenix walking their favorite places during their childhood, many men followed her with what they could not conceal. There were times when she heard whistling behind her, it was impossible not to notice that it made her very irritated or frustrated that she wanted to unload. The charm hidden in her eyes was unique. You can think that she should spin in his head, but not. Julia was like a younger sister to him, whom he promised to guard, he never felt anything more than a huge empathy and brotherly love.  
He loved her because she was the only person in the Children's Home who understood him and she could always count on him. They were complemented now by her and her biological brother.  
— You did not tell him yet? — he was surprised when a few minutes later they left the restaurants, going out to the sidewalk, covered with the southern sun.  
— No — she said embarrassed.  
She could hear his quiet sigh, as if he was dissatisfied, she could go to the statement disappointed. He was not surprised. She promised him before he left that he would get up the courage and tell him about his tiring past to his relatives, but he had already passed a month since she returned, and she kept silent as if she had been enchanted.  
— I understand your pain and fear perfectly, Julia, but you must tell them the truth. You think that they will not understand you, if it is, it is complete nonsense — he explained like a child — who will listen to you and understand how humiliating it is for you than your own brother, you know him, you know what has happened in his life and you are still ashamed tell him?  
— Tony, please — she hissed softly, feeling more and more intimidated.  
— No, Julia, you need help. I do not blame you for being helpless, but the last few weeks have shown that you're stopping. You must report to the therapist.  
She sighed heavily as they squeezed through the crowd. She knew well that Brown was honest enough, but she did not want to ask someone to hear. Years of coping with the life of a girl full of secrets allowed her to form a proverbial shield, which over time began to break. She tried to rebuild it, but in vain, broken, it was not able to stick together, not like in the old days, and the events of the last weeks made her more and more aware of it.  
She pulled out the gray-clad buttons from the light denim jacket, letting it hang freely along its sides. She did not think that meeting Anthony would be so long. Yes, she knew his nature of the ever-spontaneous and talkative man, but she thought that their meeting would not last longer than two hours. However, there was no reason to be disappointed. She loved to spend hours with him, even if it was just a conversation about trivialities or things that did not matter. They had known each other for many years, which meant that they knew the secrets about themselves. Nobody else, he did not know the reasons for the hatred of his former place of residence, which she was forced to call home. He was aware of her fears and worries, even now that they were miles apart, and they were forced to meet only once every few months when they had the opportunity. She always said she did not have any friends, but she did not reveal this one detail of her life.  
Tony was a person who, despite the distance they shared, could always find support. He understood perfectly well what he was going through and supported her every time her life was in ruins. He was one of the reasons why she decided to return to the city of angels and fight for her loved ones. She remembered the evening well when she told him the truth that Clark had begun to persecute her again. He knew perfectly well about the difficulties in the relationship, he made her look over her eyes and break this hellish intimacy. He aroused her from this nightmare and did it a second time. She was very grateful to him, she did not want to think what would happen if he had given her that night again that he was paying for his acquaintance with Kent again, blaming himself for all the situations to which he had led. In no way was she guilty of it, and he proved it to her.  
Apparently she needed a person who had to hurt her so much that she could take off her proverbial black glasses and look around to see the boy's mendacious face.  
She sat on the edge of the cupboard, squeezing the high heels from her aching feet. She was relieved when her feet collided with the cool floor, bringing her a small relief. She grabbed the collar of the cape to slowly take it off her shoulders. She folded it in half, putting it over her shoulder. She looked down the corridor, frowning. She was surprised by the unprecedented silence that prevailed in the apartment, which was impossible. She was always greeted by two quadrupeds who were glad to greet her, but now there was no sound of the radio playing. Passing through the corridor, she stood in the entrance to the living room, looking after her two dogs, possibly her brother, but she did not see anyone. She sighed quietly, descending cautiously in two steps, grabbing the corner of her jacket, throwing it carelessly on the back of one of the armchairs. She walked through the living room bathed in the glow of the evening sun, pushed the handle of the kindergarten door, and moved it, stepping onto the insulated patio facing the horizon. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly as she looked at the garden mulching in the light of the delicate lights, she looked carefully, searching for the lost tenants, but they were not here either. She sighed heavily, crossing the threshold of the living room. She did not bother closing the balcony shutters. She bent to pick up one of Anica's toys, threw her into a box hidden in the dark corner of the room. She dropped onto the couch, resting her feet on the pre-school table, then a half-fold sheet of paper bent in the eye, leaning against a bowl of fine sweets. She grabbed her between her fingers, spreading the white paper. She scanned the text, with a brief message from her brother that he had gone for an evening walk with two dogs. There is not much left to do. She put down the page with the message, reaching for the abandoned bag. She improved the frills of her powder skirt, finding her phone in depth. The LED lit up with a bright light, announcing unread messages or notifications. She moved her finger across the screen, unlocking it with one move. In her eyes a photo that did not have many months was thrown just a few days earlier. She remembered this evening perfectly. Mike invited her on his first date. She did not expect much from this meeting, it did not matter to her, the place or the circumstances in which she was taking place. The most important thing for her was that he was with her then, she did not need anything else to be happy. She smiled warmly, always liked the picture they both had with each other, even those too familiar as ordinary friends, how their friends laughed, but they did not mind. She could now admit she was happily in love. She shook off the internal monologue, entering chat applications. While browsing through the list of contacts, she found some unread messages. She did not feel like writing back. Bored, she turned her smartphone on one of the pillows. She grabbed an abandoned pilot, including a random program. She traced several channels hoping that something would interest her, but nothing caught her attention or interest. Bored, she switched another to the next station, slightly raised her head when she heard the sounds of her familiar melody. The broadcast from the newly started concert of the musical group caught her attention. She propped her feet to the edge of the table, listening to the next song. Bored quietly next words of the song, suddenly her peace was interrupted by the sound of the phone's ringing. She reached for the white device dropped on one of the pillows. She unblocked him to notice the message from her best friend who invited her to shopping tomorrow. She wondered for a moment whether it was a good idea, the last trip to the mall ended with huge imprints on heels and the vastness of boxes and purchases that she could not count, did not even mention that she practically exceeded the already low budget on her credit card. She made some money, painting pictures for clients for some time, but it was not so much money. Although her brother did not make any arguments about using his money, at times she felt guilty that she did not earn herself, that's why she grabbed orders on order to earn some proverbial pennies, at the same time allowing her to develop skills that can be useful in later going to art studies. However, on the other hand, in two weeks her friends go to Milan to prepare the apartment before the studies, which began in October, so it could be their last such meeting. She wrote back a quick message with positive answers, then dialed Michael's number, writing a few simple words to him. She leaned against the headboard, listening to the song that the band was playing. She felt her tiredness, which led her into the depths of a warm bed, although it was quite early, because the watch on her phone showed a few minutes past eight, she felt like warming up the bath and plunging herself into a warm bedspread.  
She grabbed the abandoned TV controller by pressing the red button, turning it off. She got up from the comfortable couch with great reluctance, grabbed the purse and the phone in a hurry, going up to the bright stairs of the apartment. She did not even dare take a step when a quiet melody of the doorbell went through the apartment. She frowned in eyebrows, did not expect any guests, and Chester would probably be back in an hour. She knew she liked to run in the evenings. She turned the light clutch bag to the edge of the railing, holding I'Phone in her clenched hand. The sound of her quiet footsteps echoed against the walls of the flat. She stood before the wooden wing. She turned the key in the lock, unlocking the security.  
— And I thought that day would be lost — she laughed at the arrival of the guest on the doorstep.  
She grabbed the edge of his black shirt between his fingers, pulling him closer. She wanted, on the one hand, a moment filled with peace and quiet, and on the other hand she had to admit that she was not as quiet as her meetings with him. However, tonight she wanted to spend time in the comfort of her room, even if he was to oppose his plans. She knew him too well to be wrong and claim he did not surprise her.  
— I did not expect such a greting — he laughed as she moved away from his lips.  
— I am supposed to be a bad girl who will throw you out the door — She crossed her hands on her chest, measuring him with the eyes of her bright eyes.  
Her rather sharp tone of voice only made him even more amused. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. But she could not keep her seriousness for long, and he knew it. They walked into the darkened living room, from which came a glow shining over the horizon of the moon, wrapping their bright parquet boards with their brilliance.  
They sat in silence for a moment, allowing themselves to enjoy their nearness. What they valued the most after a hard day. She was aware that he had spent the whole day in the recording studio again, and the only thing he had dreamed about her ground floor was a quiet evening with a loved one.  
— How to meet? — He asked her, and she almost jumped in fear, leaning against his shoulder. Eyes closed before her, they led her to the land of eternal dreams. Seeing her distraction, he laughed softly, and she just muttered something under her breath.  
— All in all good — she said quietly — I'm glad Tony suggested this meeting, I do not know when we could talk in private.  
— You never told me who this boy is — he said suddenly, looking at her questioningly.  
— Anthony? — she said suddenly — I was brought up with him in the same orphanage. He was always like an older brother to me, such a friend from the heart — she sighed quietly — He persuaded me to return and talk to you. You could say it was my good guardian angel when I was raised in Arizona.  
— You always said that you were not in a friendly relationship with anyone in Phoenix.  
— I lied — she said after a moment.  
She lowered her eyes, she cheated them, but no one knew about her relationship with Brown, as she mentioned earlier, rather avoiding unnecessary publicity. They preferred to meet in secret, rather than risk unpleasant consequences, and especially he did not want to expose her, which is why she was so alone.  
— I've known Anthony for almost eight years. He helped me in the most difficult moments of my life, we hid our acquaintance, because we did not think it was a topic for talks. I am his huge debtor, because he has not once pulled me from the wells below me, when I was digging or helping me to get up, when someone puts the logs under my feet. Forgive me, but I did not really tell anyone about our relationship, it was our little secret.  
She expected everything, but again she began to panic too much, because why could he be angry with her? There was no reason for that, but her mind was playing with her, it irritated me more and more, from the moment when she broke away toxic acquaintance with Clark, her mind played with her, at every possible opportunity, when she gave someone a sincere feeling of love it was so dull for her that she still had to live with Kent and not focus on her present knowledge.  
But Mike quickly divorced her doubts, of which she was extremely pleased. The long minutes they had spent talking about her good childhood friend had passed at an alarming rate. Unexpectedly, they heard the door, open slowly, and a quiet barking spread around the apartment. Reluctantly, Julia got out of his embrace, though she did not want that much. She did not know how to say to her brother that he had been dating his best friend for some time, maybe he was aware of his feelings for the young musician, but she did not know what he would say if he really learned about the relationship between his friend and his sister's band. Seeing her dilemma, Shinoda, he embraced her slowly in the waist and did not even dream, he let her out of a warm embrace. He was tormented by this eternal pretense, so he preferred that even the best friend would learn in the least expected way than to prolong it. Everyone deserved love and understanding.  
Two quadrupeds ran into the living room, when they noticed their mistress, did not wait too long, both bitches ran up to her, trying to gain some attention. Satisfied, she grabbed Junka on her knees, slipping her fingers into her white hair, scratching her gently behind her ear, letting her pull her beloved from her shoulders, who, seeing her interest in dogs, rolled his eyes, sighing softly, muttering something under the nose of more attention for her pet pupils than for him, which made her laugh.  
— I see that the dogs have already caught up with you — Chester said, crossing the threshold of the living room, noticing his sister who tickled Anika on the back — Hello, old man — he said to the friends in the living room.  
It was not surprising to him that his presence was more frequent in recent times. He knew perfectly well the reason for his frequent visits, but he waited for the moment when they finally admit to him what connects them. If he was honest, he enjoyed their relationship. Perhaps he did not behave like a typical brother who forbids his sister to meet his best colleagues, but if he behaved so stereotypically, he would not forgive himself if he destroyed this love. He knew perfectly well how the two of them loved each other, it was rare for two people to care so much about themselves. He was aware that from the beginning, the relationship between Julia and Mike was exceptional and in the future it could turn into something stronger. He did not want to be a monster who takes what's most important in knowing these two, he could say that he was even cheering for them, except with the rest of each of the boys from the band.  
— I was gone all day, let me enjoy them — she said amused as she felt Anika put her head in her lap.  
— You should take care of the one sitting next to you.  
She looked at him in surprise, but he disappeared on the threshold of the kitchen door. She stammered for a moment as if the meaning of his words was an abstraction for her. She looked at Michael, whose eyes were slightly surprised, but he did not let himself show it. Only what he sat calmly, without emotion on his face, which saddened her extremely. Carefully, she removed her slumbering Maltese from her lap, sliding free from under Anika's legs, which she placed on her legs.  
She rose from the couch to find out what her brother meant, but she felt a hand that tightened on her wrist. She knew perfectly well whose job it was. She did not even protest when he brought her back to her again, and she could feel those sensual lips that she had dreamed of almost at night. Always passionate and full of delightful experiences. A deep dark look that could charm her. She sighed in full satisfaction, closing her eyes gently, allowing only to feel the pleasure of this kiss.  
They were unaware that a smiling singer stood at the threshold of the door, watching the scene with a gentle smile on his lips. It is said that love has no rules, he could say that in their case the feelings they gave to them have no age. But was it so important when he could look at their joy? For many weeks he had seen the teenager's contentment, the one who had been stolen from her, through which the man mentally exhausted her, but now she could relax for a long time? The demon in the form of a former boy was still vigilant and he would not give up easily.


	50. TOM 2— TAKEN: 06  — DRAGON IS THE LEGENDARY POWER

She focused her gaze on the laptop screen, arranged on a dark desktop, working for almost a few hours, when she was bored with writing back messages and questions from people who decided to order a picture from her. She did not think that painting some pictures for further friends would bring some kind of popularity. She was pleased with the horror at the next messages that were displayed in her inbox, asking if she would be able to transfer the concepts of interested people to paper. She agreed to all requests, being aware that she would manage time with drawings or paintings, but with time she began to arrive at orders, and she got stuck with a lot of orders. She did not sleep at night to finish her paintings. She did not want to let anyone down or disappoint her, she wanted to face the sentence, but over the next few days it became harder and harder, and she did not cope with it. Finally, she had to refuse, explaining that she could not do it for such a short time. She did not remember when she could sleep a few hours last. She felt a huge pressure she could not hide.  
Work absorbed her to such an extent that she was forced to recite further meetings with Mike, which unusually deepened her. The only thing she has dreamed of lately is to throw all the paints, pencils or other art supplies and use her partner's proposal to take a break from the turmoil she has had lately in her life. The desire to fulfill the contract, however, was stronger. She believed that in this way, she would prepare herself in the future, take up employment in some companies which would allow her to have more experience when the employer would give her a lot of work, having to make a surprisingly short time. For now, emotional life has gone into oblivion. She knew perfectly well how irritated Michael was, but he did not complain when they managed to see for a short while. He used the time as much as possible, he could not be sure when he would meet again with a nineteen-year-old. He understood her behavior and supported in decisions, but it was exhausting for him, that he could forget about joint evenings filled with burning feelings of love or passion. She did not hide her longing for him. Looking at the work that had begun to wander around her room, she felt as if they were doing more than she would spend them.  
She sighed heavily, fingering the tips of her computer with her fingertips. She slammed it shut with a soft click, moaning down into the leather-covered chair. She turned slowly, peering into the corner of the room, where there were many completed works waiting for shipping. She had to take care of it, but she did not feel like it. She enjoyed painting with yes, but it was exhausting to draw for a larger group. Until now, her sketches were seen only by those close to her, she did it out of passion. Artistry still enjoyed it, but wanted to return to the moment when she sat in a corner with a drawing block, giving vent to her imagination. She poured over clean sheets of paper, feelings and emotions dormant in her soul, made the paintings in her mind take on colors, and she proudly looked at the final effect of her work. Now she could not afford it.  
She did not read that she did not make money on it, yes she paid her regularly. She was satisfied with the amount she received, but what about her money if she could use the time in a completely different way. She did not want to be a materialist or egoist, but she needed a moment for herself, she wanted to relax. She focused her gaze on the laptop screen, arranged on a dark desktop, working for almost a few hours, when she was bored with writing back messages and questions from people who decided to order a picture from her. She did not think that painting some pictures for further friends would bring some kind of popularity. She was pleased with the horror at the next messages that were displayed in her inbox, asking if she would be able to transfer the concepts of interested people to paper. She agreed to all requests, being aware that she would manage time with drawings or paintings, but with time she began to arrive at orders, and she got stuck with a lot of orders. She did not sleep at night to finish her paintings. She did not want to let anyone down or disappoint her, she wanted to face the sentence, but over the next few days it became harder and harder, and she did not cope with it. Finally, she had to refuse, explaining that she could not do it for such a short time. She did not remember when she could sleep a few hours last. She felt a huge pressure she could not hide.  
Work absorbed her to such an extent that she was forced to recite further meetings with Mike, which unusually deepened her. The only thing she has dreamed of lately is to throw all the paints, pencils or other art supplies and use her partner's proposal to take a break from the turmoil she has had lately in her life. The desire to fulfill the contract, however, was stronger. She believed that in this way, she would prepare herself in the future, take up employment in some companies which would allow her to have more experience when the employer would give her a lot of work, having to make a surprisingly short time. For now, emotional life has gone into oblivion. She knew perfectly well how irritated Michael was, but he did not complain when they managed to see for a short while. He used the time as much as possible, he could not be sure when he would meet again with a nineteen-year-old. He understood her behavior and supported in decisions, but it was exhausting for him, that he could forget about joint evenings filled with burning feelings of love or passion. She did not hide her longing for him. Looking at the work that had begun to wander around her room, she felt as if they were doing more than she would spend them.  
She sighed heavily, fingering the tips of her computer with her fingertips. She slammed it shut with a soft click, moaning down into the leather-covered chair. She turned slowly, peering into the corner of the room, where there were many completed works waiting for shipping. She had to take care of it, but she did not feel like it. She enjoyed painting with yes, but it was exhausting to draw for a larger group. Until now, her sketches were seen only by those close to her, she did it out of passion. Artistry still enjoyed it, but wanted to return to the moment when she sat in a corner with a drawing block, giving vent to her imagination. She poured over clean sheets of paper, feelings and emotions dormant in her soul, made the paintings in her mind take on colors, and she proudly looked at the final effect of her work. Now she could not afford it.  
She did not read that she did not make money on it, yes she paid her regularly. She was satisfied with the amount she received, but what about her money if she could use the time in a completely different way. She did not want to be a materialist or egoist, but she needed a moment for herself, she wanted to relax.  
One of her disadvantages was excessive overzealousness. Whenever she grasped something for something, she devoted too much energy to it, she was not going to mention her spare time because she could forget about them. She devoured it completely, losing her head to all other matters. At first she thought it was a good thing, but she slowly began to realize that the decisions she had made were unreasonable and unwise. She tried to get rid of it, but she could not. When she looked at the paintings standing in front of the wall, which were in such a deplorable condition, she could not pass by indifferently, she was not interested in anything but the work would take on shades or a satisfying shape.  
However, today she could not look at plastic blocks or colored pencils, which she scattered on the top of the dark table. This time she rested. She looked up to get stuck in the bed covered with a dark bedspread, which encouraged her to lie down. With a quiet groan she rose from the comfortable piece of furniture, sadly crossed the room. She felt a gentle breeze on her bare shoulders. The city was slowly enveloping the dark cloak of August night. The familiar singing of nightingales wove through the open balcony door, harmonizing with the melody of nature. Interrupted only by the sounds of the bustling metropolis. She sank onto the soft mattress, dipping her face into the cool bedding. A smile full of contentment crept onto her lips, feeling the material of soft powder under her hands. She pulled one of the dark, black pillows toward her. Cat's face, gave the impression that the material was more vivid, sewn from a special fabric, gave it a lot of comfort. It was a small gift from Marinette and Adrien, who in part owed her to her relationship. The situation at the ball caused that two enemies from the school walls had become closer to each other. They claimed that she was their matchmaker who connected them, though she argued that she had done nothing. Before leaving, a young designer offered her a gift she created herself. When she saw the snout in the pack, the cat and the ladybugs sewn in soft fluff could not stop laughing. She did not hide that the two Parisians were very much connected with two animals. When during her last conversation with the girl she decided that she wanted to give her something personal, something that would make her remember their adventure for a long time, and at the same time always be with her. She listened intently to the story of Agreste, who had mentioned one of her meetings with sympathy when she was thinking about a present for her friend. She thought for a long time what would give her, unexpectedly to her mind came the idea of creating these mini mascots hidden in the depths of pillows. She did not hide it, she was pleased with this gift, but she had a cowshed before accepting it, she thought, did not contribute directly, that two of her good friends, now they could boast of several months of relationship, went through many attempts, however, happiness and hidden in their hearts love won .  
Just like the story of her and Mike, it was not easy for them, life was laying on their way together many logs, they lived in the conviction that they would not be able to tell themselves who they really are, fate overturned their roads and almost dirty he laughed at their faces, mocking that he had not achieved anything. They will not be able to cope, they will not be able to grab hands during a storm, to be aware that they have each other, but they have defeated it, now they were the ones who stood up.  
A story at first glance like some telenovela, but when you look deep into the written text on the dull pages of the diaries, you'll see a real battle, a war for love, happiness that has been taken away from their previous partners. If she were to regret something of her old emotional life, she could have said who she wanted to burn in the depths of the burning fire. The element that was able to delight and at the same time make you horrified. She loved staring at the flames in the fireplace for hours, dancing in her rhythm.  
erself of the last farewell to Marinette and Selena. Even though she was not too sensitive, she could not stop the salt drops dripping down her cheeks when she looked at the girls walking away behind the gate of the aircraft hangar, they were not in a better condition themselves. They left their whole lives in the country, faithful friends who were to help, go out together to the evening party, returning only in the early morning, when promils of high-speed drinks danced cheerfully around their bodies, so that the next day they could receive a phone call from them lurking on pushing them out minds, atomic bombs. She had irritated her before, now she knew she would miss her. Yes, Alex and Emily are staying in the country, they do not even want to keep their nose out of the sunny Los Angeles, but Miss Adams was the most efficient person of their company. She was not sure if their relationship would survive, Adrien declared he would not leave his heart, now that he finally regained it, but she was not sure how they would manage in a distance relationship. It was a test for such a young relationship, but two Frenchmen were madly in love with each other. As for the boyfriend of her narwanka friend, she doubted that their friendship would survive. Over the last weeks, Selena complained about constant quarrels with her boyfriend, which slowly led her crazy, she had enough of his continuous wach, he was not delighted that his love leaves the country, they would still be arguing, she moved the papers to one of the universities in the country however, knowing the stubborn nature of her friend, she did not give up, explaining that she wanted to get an education at one of the better universities that offered her excellent learning conditions. She could see her tormenting her, sometimes she doubted her feelings for Brandon had been burned out. You could say that the last days were spent in a rather turbulent atmosphere, in contrast to their friends who used every moment just to be alone. The family supported both designers in the decision they made, although their mothers looked at them crying, what their children had to get on their own when getting on the plane. Most of her friends started looking for dorms or flats closer to the university, thus leaving their socket. She also thought about moving out, she could not sit on her head forever. When Chester learned of her idea, he let her know that he did not bother him, it fills this emptiness in these four walls more. However, like every adult person, she wanted to become independent. If she was to be honest, she was not afraid of it, it was as if she had returned to the orphanage, where she could not rely on her guardians and you could say she had real life. However, for now, she needed to sort her life before thinking about leaving this cozy apartment. A place that is allowed to be called her home.  
Her senses were slowly attacked by the pleasant silence of the room, filled only by the birds singing or the musicians of grasshoppers, which were won by the melodies of nature, the sound of cicadas swaying her to sleep. She was half conscious when a huge roar spread around the house. She jumped up sharply, frightened, looked around the room prudently, searching for the sound source. She slid her feet to the cool panels of the room, raised herself to check what was going on. She knew perfectly well that her brother was at home, and that did not bode well. She pushed the wooden wing, stepping out onto the corridor, flooded in the light of the brightness of the moon. She stood at the top of the stairs when the insults came to her. She ran down the stairs, careful not to stumble, stood on the platform, looking for her brother, but nowhere could she see him. She did not know what touched her, but she directed her steps to the kitchen. She stood in the doorway, and she smiled slightly when she saw a man cursing under his breath, picking up a loudspeaker.  
She nestled more into the face of the black pussy, reminding herself of the last farewell to Marinette and Selena. Even though she was not too sensitive, she could not stop the salt drops dripping down her cheeks when she looked at the girls walking away behind the gate of the aircraft hangar, they were not in a better condition themselves. They left their whole lives in the country, faithful friends who were to help, go out together to the evening party, returning only in the early morning, when promils of high-speed drinks danced cheerfully around their bodies, so that the next day they could receive a phone call from them lurking on pushing them out minds, atomic bombs. She had irritated her before, now she knew she would miss her. Yes, Alex and Emily are staying in the country, they do not even want to keep their nose out of the sunny Los Angeles, but Miss Adams was the most efficient person of their company. She was not sure if their relationship would survive, Adrien declared he would not leave his heart, now that he finally regained it, but she was not sure how they would manage in a distance relationship. It was a test for such a young relationship, but two Frenchmen were madly in love with each other. As for the boyfriend of her narwanka friend, she doubted that their friendship would survive. Over the last weeks, Selena complained about constant quarrels with her boyfriend, which slowly led her crazy, she had enough of his continuous wach, he was not delighted that his love leaves the country, they would still be arguing, she moved the papers to one of the universities in the country however, knowing the stubborn nature of her friend, she did not give up, explaining that she wanted to get an education at one of the better universities that offered her excellent learning conditions. She could see her tormenting her, sometimes she doubted her feelings for Brandon had been burned out. You could say that the last days were spent in a rather turbulent atmosphere, in contrast to their friends who used every moment just to be alone. The family supported both designers in the decision they made, although their mothers looked at them crying, what their children had to get on their own when getting on the plane. Most of her friends started looking for dorms or flats closer to the university, thus leaving their socket. She also thought about moving out, she could not sit on her head forever. When Chester learned of her idea, he let her know that he did not bother him, it fills this emptiness in these four walls more. However, like every adult person, she wanted to become independent. If she was to be honest, she was not afraid of it, it was as if she had returned to the orphanage, where she could not rely on her guardians and you could say she had real life. However, for now, she needed to sort her life before thinking about leaving this cozy apartment. A place that is allowed to be called her home.  
Her senses were slowly attacked by the pleasant silence of the room, filled only by the birds singing or the musicians of grasshoppers, which were won by the melodies of nature, the sound of cicadas swaying her to sleep. She was half conscious when a huge roar spread around the house. She jumped up sharply, frightened, looked around the room prudently, searching for the sound source. She slid her feet to the cool panels of the room, raised herself to check what was going on. She knew perfectly well that her brother was at home, and that did not bode well. She pushed the wooden wing, stepping out onto the corridor, flooded in the light of the brightness of the moon. She stood at the top of the stairs when the insults came to her. She ran down the stairs, careful not to stumble, stood on the platform, looking for her brother, but nowhere could she see him. She did not know what touched her, but she directed her steps to the kitchen. She stood in the doorway, and she smiled slightly when she saw a man cursing under his breath, picking up a loudspeaker.  
Muttering, something about who could leave him here, he turned over his shoulder to look at the teenager's amused situation.  
— I understand that we are a family, but mostly I break everything in this house — she laughed, seeing his fairly mute face.  
— It's not only you who is stuck in you, it's the objects you want to destroy — he replied, hiding the cable in the back of the cabinet.  
She saw her trying to restart him. The sound of the creaking waves made them headache. She frowned, putting her hands to her ears to somehow protect herself from this irritating quilting. She was relieved when the man announced that he could listen normally. She sighed quietly, coming up to the kitchenette, climbed on a bright table, staring at the card with the painting, which the musician held in front of him. He looked closely at the new design of his tattoo, was not entirely sure of this sketch, and time had less and less time to come up with a new design, you can go so far as to say that he did not have it at all.  
— Are you planning a new tattoo? — the teenager's calm voice enveloped his senses.  
He rested his hands on the edge of the cabinet, raising his dark gaze at her. Something told him that the girl wanted to talk about something. He knew the gleam in her eye when she wanted something from him, he had never been fallible in his premonitions. He thought that this time he also had good suspicions.  
— Yes. Why do you ask — he said, pushing gently away the paper with the painting.  
— I have a question, or rather a request — she began slowly.  
— Listen.  
She bit her lip nervously, she knew there was nothing I was afraid of. She put her fingers together. For a long time she thought about what she was going to do. She spent long weeks thinking, she knew that the painting she wanted to do would stay with her for life. Initially, she was afraid of this form of art, but over time she liked colorful tattoos that were hidden on the bodies of people, like a canvas from a painting. She did not know why, she was afraid to tell her brother. She longed to talk to him long ago, but his prolonged absence, which was due to a visit to New York, where he opened a new studio, meant that she had to postpone her plans until she did not return. Although he was home from yesterday, she did not manage to raise the issue with him when she was absorbed in her odd job. However, she was determined and intended to share it.  
— You know, I've thought about it for a long time and I would like... — She broke off suddenly, not knowing how to put what was in her mind into words, but seeing the smile that had crept onto Bennington's mouth was more than aware that he understood her intentions.  
— Make a tattoo? — she saw the surprise on his face.  
He did not hide, he was amazed at her sudden decision. He did not think that he would be daring enough to paint his body with a colorful image. She never had the opposite opinion, but kept a cool distance to the possible coloration of her body. He could say more that she preferred to look at other people who decided to do so. However, he could not deny her request, he would not even dare, it more pleased him that she had decided on such a move.  
— No knowledge of the problem young — he said, interrupting the prevailing in the kitchen blissful silence — I am going to the studio tomorrow, I will take you.  
She looked at him slightly dumbfounded, maybe it was one of which she did not plan to pursue her dreams, she was too afraid of later consequences that she would simply get bored and want to get rid of it, but spent long weeks thinking about whether to she is sure of painting the created project on her skin, grabbed the sketchbook herself and exaggerated the vision that flowed in her mind. She spent a few nights, choosing appropriate colors to color her painting, the longer she looked at the final effect of her work, she felt satisfaction and satisfaction that she created the project. The time has finally come to realize it. It will not be limited if it was given the opportunity to develop. Sometimes she acted like an immature teenager, especially when her relationship with Kent was at stake, although she tried to be sensible, she was losing her sobriety with him.  
She nodded, trying to shake off unwanted thoughts. She's got too much mix in her life. She let it out of her lungs, glancing at Chester, who was studying her carefully.  
— What's happening? — she asked.  
She deftly jumped off the shimmering top, paused at his side, looking at the colorful drawing created by one of the salon's employees. She saw his unhappy face, he was still wondering if everything was as he wanted, but something suggested to make some changes, but he had no idea what he could improve.  
— I do not really like anything in this project — he confessed, taken out of sudden nostalgia — I do not think it's bad, but I would improve something.  
—Could I advise you something?  
He opened his mouth, ready to ask what she meant, but suddenly disappeared from his eyes, he heard strange noises from the living room, but he did not particularly take care of them, knowing that Julia had disappeared. He did not have to wait too long for her, stood in the entrance, in her hands she held a black leather accusative in which she kept a set of pencils, which she often took with her when she had no other artistic products with her, and the idea of a new picture was born in her mind. Who would have expected a shy and somewhat withdrawn seventeen-year-old now to make her dreams, hidden deep in her heart. He was aware that despite the hasty decision not to go to university, he would do anything to get to his dream university. He was not surprised that she first wanted to sort out her life before she could start studying at the university. She was troubled by the many things she had been bothered with, although she promised to tell her what she was plaguing her, she was still stranger to her memories of her old life. However, he would not like it, she felt pressure from him. He had to finally convince her to come to the therapist, which was not easy, he had tried many times, and although she had started to break in recent weeks, she was still too stubborn.  
He watched her every move as she unfolded the lock, taking out one of the styluses. She brought the paper to her, applying the end of a black pencil to the paper, carefully watching how she was doing, only a small improvement, which according to her sense of the artist was not very impressive and destroyed the entire concept of the project.  
— How now? — she asked after a few minutes, lifting the drawing so that he could easily see what changes happened.  
He could say that practically nothing changed except the change in the corner of the drawing. He had to admit that she looked through him, saw what he could not catch. He smiled slightly, grabbing a scrap of paper between his fingers.  
— Perfectly — he praised her — I think I will have to change the person responsible for tattoo designs.  
— Do not overdo it, I only drew a few lines that seemed to fit.  
— I'm too modest — he said.  
He put the sheet of paper on the bright kitchenette to look at it.  
— Self-confidence never too much young — he added encouragingly.  
— I believe in myself — she said, but her voice trembled.  
The truth, however, was completely different, everyone knew that in some situations she was still this frightened girl from Arizona, despite the fact that she could show claws, sometimes she could not cope with stress. She suppressed a murmur of dissatisfaction as her mind gave the image of a cynical smile hidden in her eyes like a cool steel whose eyes were afraid. She did not allow herself any more memories, she broke away from the depths of her mind, she jerked her head up, staring at Chester.  
— We eat something? — she offered willingly.  
The desire to relax suddenly fell into oblivion, when after a brief discussion with her brother she ceased to feel the fatigue that overwhelmed her. She knew that she should sleep, but she preferred to use this evening to spend it with her brother. She did not remember when they had spent a few hours together, enjoying the time spent alone. There was always something that interrupted these charming moments, or they were busy or meeting with friends in the city, or simply could not catch themselves, especially the last days that Elder Bennington spent in Brooklyn.  
— I have a better idea — the idea of the musician caught her — Find, some action movie we make a movie night.  
She wrote happily, almost delighted with his proposal, they have not made a movie marathon for a long time, mostly she was choosing a series to watch and this time it will be like that. Not once they argued about the productions she chose, when Chester did not like the comedy she chose or the movie, which was not his favorite genre, but mostly agreed on the choices she made. A plan was born in her mind, which she had to choose. She defeated her distance from the living room, fleetingly glanced at the animals running around the garden, who had greater joy than them when the girls were chasing after the pure sweetness of green grass. They liked each other and it pleased them. She knelt in front of the shelves, where they kept all the records with the films. It has seen quite a lot of the world cinema productions, there were fantasy, science-fiction screens, and you could also see comedies or actions. Everything you could want. She followed the titles on the backs of the packages. In the end, she came across an interesting movie. She took out one package slowly, then reached for another three, looked at the plates with the name of the film "Fast and the Furious" held on her lap.  
— Did you choose something? — She raised her head, glancing at her brother who came in with two bowls of snacks and drink.  
He set everything on the table, then approached her as she removed the disc from the tag. She hid them inside the player, looking for the remote control, she finally saw him. She grabbed it between her hands, turning on the television. Seeing his brother's still interesting look, she folded the box in half, handing it to him.  
She laughed softly when she heard his whistling when he saw the title of film production. She knew his taste well, liked such productions, but he especially loved horror movies, but she did not have enough courage to resist what bloody filming. She remembered perfectly how her last night ended with this type of film. She sat in half of the production hugged to Mike, cursing him loudly that he forced her to watch such drastic scenes. However, she did not mind it, she was not surprised that he wanted to watch such a film adaptation, but he chose definitely a bad partner when it comes to cinema that gives rise to a thrill. She was not fit for it! She preferred more, delved into films about the earth's disaster, or funny comedies from which she could have a laugh. American directors were famous for this cool comedy, but some were really unpalatable, which sincerely discouraged her to watch. She remembered a certain evening she had spent with Adrien in his apartment. The parents of Agreste went on a business trip and his sympathy, she had to stay at home, because she got a detention for a rather late return after the date and under the influence of alcohol in the middle of the week. She had to visit him then, for school reasons, because they both worked on a chemical project, and blond was one of the best students of the subject. It hit him with him, they were forced to do the experiment. They did it quite quickly, and they had enough time, and Agreste had an idea, he did not see what she did, but she let him persuade him. Who would have thought that from unseen enmity, their relations would turn into something stronger. She did not regret her decision that she trusted him. The teenager turned out to be fantastic people, despite his masker's school mask, which he put on himself, with time she began to disappear, he suffered a shock when he learned that his older brother almost did not escape death. The brothers were very much connected to each other, many times older Gooseberries, a clash to Adrien's head that he would stop treating the girls objectively and he thought for a moment what he was doing to them with his coarse behavior. He made him aware of the mistakes he made, which he did not want to see. You could say that if it was not for Alexis's help, she would not get support from younger Agreste. She had not yet had the opportunity to meet his brother, but she thought that the time would come. She did not intend to get rid of the blonde from her life, she forgave him all the shares and gave her a second chance.  
— Are you going?  
She shook off her reverie. She looked up, unconsciously still clenching her fingers on the television controller. She picked herself up from the rather cool panels, leaving the packaging of the other films on the edge of the dresser, waiting for a moment for the film to be loaded and then came onto the screen of her head. It only changed the TV's resolution, including the movie. She tossed the pilot on the couch carelessly, which bounced back on her, landing on the ladybug patterns. She frowned at seeing one of Marinette's two gifts in the living room, she was almost convinced that they were leaving her in the bedroom. She did not intend to think about it for long, she did not even plan. She just shrugged her shoulders, crossed the table, hearing the music that echoed from the initial scenes of film adaptation.  
She fell on the soft couch, grabbing the edge of the pillow, which she moved closer to her body. Unexpectedly, the sudden silence was interrupted by the sound of notifying her phone, she moaned long, hearing the irritating sound. Finding out the person who wanted to contact her, she heard Chester's quiet laughter. She took out her white smartphone from the inside of her pocket, unlocking the screen, and a picture and Mike's number rushed into her eyes. She completely forgot she was supposed to call him. Swearing at her stupidity and absentmindedness, she tapped the news quickly that she did not have much to see. She knew she would understand her. However, she felt sorry for her, because she had been postponing the meeting for several days, but she had her duties, she missed her days when they could see each other without visiting them. Now she focused on casual work had to postpone an ordinary conversation with her boyfriend. She had to reward him in the end. She promised herself that as soon as she finished these orders, she would withdraw her offer from the Internet for a while to allow more time for the musician.  
Pressing the lock button, she muted the phone so that it would not disturb her while watching the movie. She did not like to be irritated when she focused on the film adaptation, the uninvited sounds of the phone only distracted her and made her irritate unnecessarily.  
The long hours spent before the production of Mr. Rob Cohen made the film intrigued by the siblings, watched all the movie images released so far, were not aware when tired people fell asleep, and the television playing in the background showed the final credits of the series. Two quadrupeds have long slept on their couches hidden in the corner of the living room, resting after a rather active day. Such evenings were lacking in their small family, spent in peace and quiet away from the problems that plagued them with filled laughter or commenting on the actions of the main characters. The peace they needed.


	51. TOM 2— TAKEN: 07  — STOP BEING AFRAID AND TRUST! top being afraid and trust!

She glanced one last time in the glassy mirror. The glow of the dangling LEDs from the rather low ceiling illuminated the nineteen-year-old wardrobe, which was lost in the darkness, and watched her reflection with care. She corrected a piece of white sports shirt that held her slender shoulders. She sighed heavily, noting a tired teenager in the mirror. Powder and a gentle shade under the eyes could cover the signs of her indisposition, which I do not relate to, that she needed a real rest away from the hustle and bustle of her work, or problems that seem strange to me, have gone into oblivion. She, however, was not living in the illusion created by the cruel hands of the gift of life that she would only lose her vigilance, but she was on guard, still living in ignorance, when her enemy would attack. She led a seemingly happy life, among friends and acquaintances, and at the side of men she loved, but what if she were her, she was such a cunning strategist, to wait in the dark for the right moments. The moment when he attacks! She was even convinced that she was planning next steps to take revenge on her. She was terrified that he was capable of everything. It will not turn back literally in front of anything to achieve its goal. He made her live in constant tension and fear, he succeeded in evoking her anxiety, he knew perfectly well what to do to let him become subordinate to him again. A humble, frightened puppy. She supported her hands on the edge of the bright dresser, where she kept a lot of trinkets or jewelry, hanging her head gently down. Although she was convincing herself that she preferred the local life in sunny Los Angeles, she sometimes wondered whether to stay in her hometown, but with the awareness that she was protecting her loved ones.  
Everything would be good if not one boy. A young man who wants to destroy her again. He was enjoying the pain of it, feeding himself with a sick desire for revenge, only to pay his ex-partner the fact that she had abandoned him. The overgrowth of the male ego and that damned pride made him paranoid waiting for her destruction. What she blamed herself for, that fate punished her so cruelly. He gave an almost perfect boy when she needed it most, then he decided to show his true face.  
— Young, how long do I have to wait for you? — Bennington's slightly faint voice was heard in the air.  
She saw him stand on the doorstep, his face was nervous, he stopped in the spot when he saw her hunched figure. She had to get together again and deal with it, even though she gave the story of her ex-partner to Mike, she did not feel so free of this burden, she blamed herself for giving in to this temptation and telling him one of the secrets, who was finishing her up. However, how long will she live with the stigma of secrets on her shoulders, which over time began to weigh on her. She lived like a fairy tale, but even the happiest stories have their black sides.  
— All good? — he said clearly worried about her condition.  
He stood behind her, gently putting his hands on her shoulders, clasping his fingers on her shoulders, lifting her slightly up. She looked without a trace of sadness at his warm eyes filled with so many feelings. What could she tell him? Again, go into a banquet and pretend that everything is good, that she is disturbed by Clark's strange silence, or that she is beginning to deal with the duties she took on herself only to forget. Put away as much as possible from the old life, but the enormity that fell on her, overwhelmed her.  
She put her hand to his hand, pushing it away from her collarbone, passed in silence, next to him, returning to the bedroom, where she left her tattoo design.  
— Young... — he began slowly.  
She stood next to the couch, looking down at the paper with a painting she had left on it. The image of the dragon seemed to revive on a light canvas, vivid colors would give life to a mythical figure who would be on her body in a few hours. The beast, which was possessed as a legend, intelligence and cleverness meant that they were able to hide many riches. Why dragon? She could not explain it to the end, she was a creature with whom she felt strongly attached. She folded the paper in half, hiding it inside her tiny handbag, she still felt the piercing look of her brother.  
— Nothing is good — she confessed suddenly —I feel I'm disappointing again.  
She looked up, turning over her shoulder, saw the misunderstanding on his face, but after a moment she realized the meaning of her words. He took a step forward, she just nodded slightly.  
— I'm losing to Chester, he's giving himself again.  
It was one of her few conversations with her brother, when she told him how she really felt, she always got out. She explained that she would manage, and yes, maybe at first she overcame the difficulties, she was following the arduous path that had been set for her, but she did not want to drown in the swamp of her own wrongs. Once she let herself stumble, where her senses led her. She ran away like a coward, leaving her entire life behind her, gave emotion to the least sensible way she found.  
\- Everything seems to be going well, and I feel that it is just the silence before the storm. A storm to come. I do not want to run away again - she added almost in despair.  
— Julia, it's up to you, can you help me? Do you want to get rid of it? I know perfectly well how you live with the baggage of wrongs on your shoulders, but you have to remember, you are not alone with it.  
She looked at him, and her eyes suddenly lost their joy, so familiar to him. She sat on the edge of the soft mattress, slipping her feet into the sneakers, barely wearing her feet again, looking without interest at her clutch bag. She grabbed her shore, slamming her clasp. She descended after the two-step elevation to stand next to the door.  
— It seems so difficult to me — she said suddenly, as they walked through a slightly lit corridor — Nobody has heard me so far. They were not interested in the fact that under the mask of a rebel there is a scared girl who only asked for understanding — she stood on the last step, focusing again on Elder Bennington's face — I appreciated your support and help, but so many she showed me that she would not trust anyone but herself, that they would disgust me that I was afraid now. I am afraid to tell you what is tormenting me.  
— Julia is capable of this, I know you can do it. Appearances are wrong, but you are a very strong and confident person.  
— Where do you get such confidence? — Her voice sounded almost dripping with pain, and in her mind was reflected in the mocking laughter of her timekeeper.  
She could not take a step forward when she suddenly felt a strong grip on her shoulder, she looked dumbfounded like Chester, turning her toward her and expressing a great determination on his face. She frowned slightly at the sight, but she did not let herself say anything. She felt as if the words had ceased to have meaning for a moment. The meaning of the words uttered died in the cool of the dark night like thunderbolts in the distance after violent discharges.  
— If you did not fight, you would have lost your position a long time ago. Look at yourself what you have achieved. A girl brought up in the orphanage with the worst fame is now facing me a teenager who, despite adversity, graduated from high school with honors. You are confident in your future and in what direction you want to grow. You have a lot of friends who, despite all the hardships, are with you. You have not only with me, but the rest of the boys for whom you became someone more important than your friend — she saw how slightly, bends over her - And most importantly, you found the meaning of the meaning of love. Before I met you, you were bitter and full of vivid hatred for the world around you, now I see you are still smiling. I can see the joy that you once received. Tell me honestly, would you dare to take any of these steps if you did not have any courage in yourself.  
She saw him straighten up, then went to the door. She stood slightly dumbfounded, staring at his well-built figure, still not realizing that she had achieved something like that. She was aware that her life had changed, she knew the truth perfectly, but when Chester realized what she had achieved, she could not understand it for so short a time. Previously, she predicted her life in black and gray, condemned to a low life, with which she could hardly help her to maintain the whole month. She had forgotten about the dreams, those hidden in the depths of her subconscious, knowing that she would not even be able to reach out to grab them, but now she felt damned fulfilled, she had everything she did not even want. Family, friends or acquaintances, and love. A reciprocated feeling with a man who gave her what she did not achieve in the two previous relationships. Incredible how human life can change in just a few months.  
— Let's go, they will not wait for us forever — She jerked her head up at her brother's voice.  
Uncertainly she approached him, seeing her distraction, smiled warmly:  
— Head up young. I am not forcing you to do this, but please do not worry about it yourself and trust me — he took it from the back pocket, the key to the apartment.  
She could hear the soft clank of the locked lock. She shuddered, startled by the laughter of Elder Bennington. He grabbed her by the arm, leading her to the car. She stood in front of a dark cabriolet, opened the door slowly, getting in, still lost in her thoughts, did not even pay attention when Chester started the engine, leaving the cobbled driveway. She looked slightly misty at her purse, which rested on her lap. She put her fingertips to the buckle, unlocking her. She did not have to search for the things she wanted for a long time, she saw them almost immediately. She grabbed the black frames of her glasses into her hands, slipping them on her nose. The city of angels was again visited by a wave of huge heat, almost like in the previous holiday, which was a harbinger of a straining cyclone. The previous year, the metropolis had visited this treacherous hurricane for the first time in several years, she hoped that this year would not cause such problems. She did not know if she would bear another typhoon, which almost destroyed the city, and yes, maybe she felt safe with Michael, but she was afraid of such phenomena.  
She took a phone from inside the bag, shimmering in the shade of the material, announcing the latest news. She sighed quietly, expecting her friend to report on her admission to Madrid about what she had been doing at the same time for several days. The difference of time zones meant that they could not communicate at any time of the day or night, but it did not discourage them, they wrote to each other, even when they had to wait for the answer from the second few hours. They did not want to lose contact with her, Selena would not let her. She ran her finger across the matrix of the device to light up the screen, she was not surprised when she saw the picture of her boyfriend on the display. She entered the message to read the message, she frowned slightly, not knowing what to write to him.  
— Chester? — she looked up to look at the music focused on the way — How long they do tattoos.  
— It all depends on the size and location, sometimes it can take two hours, another time you can sit a few hours —he explained calmly, stopping at the lights — Why do you ask?  
— Mike wants to meet me and I do not know what to answer him — she confessed with a sigh.  
— I'm not sure how much time Cindy will spend over you. You would best postpone the meeting.  
With a soreness of her heart she looked at the lit screen of her phone. Reluctantly, she wanted to postpone this meeting again. She had not known him for almost two weeks and she wanted to see him. Her hand shuddered as she displayed the electronic keyboard to tap a string of words. She hesitated for a moment when she saw the written content. Maybe she did not necessarily have to give up his proposal. With one move she removed the previous message, then tapped out a few short words, pressing the green button.  
She could not see her brother watching her with curiosity out of the corner of her eye. Although she still had not told him about his relationship with Mike, he was sure she was happy, and he was reluctant to put off his visit. She did not wonder for herself, for several days she worked without a break at her work, unable to find even a little time for herself, he looked with a slight sadness at the somewhat dazed musician. Shinoda had been a little depressed for several days, but he did not complain, he was not in the habit, he was well aware that his not the best condition was caused by the lack of his sister's presence. Asking him every time if he was okay, he answered casually, assuring him that he was fine. However, he knew his. Julia lacked him, but the work turned out to be more important. The teenager, despite the availability of a joint account, wanted to become financially addicted, flattered him that she did not rest on her laurels and goes on, although initially she got a small penny for her paintings, with time the sum began to grow, which allowed her to take small pleasures.  
They with great difficulty broke through one of the crowded highways, at the last moment they learned about the collision, which caused difficulties in communication. Police officers were forced to manage traffic when the security services minimized the effects of a beverage truck accident. Surprisingly, it was not without fatalities, the lorry driver was hospitalized, he was a little battered, but his life was safe. They turned into one of the side streets, entering a housing estate that was already many years old, but it was still kept in order. Their earlier discussion turned into a rather casual conversation, when the intrigued teenager asked about the progress of the production of the new album, although she promised herself that she would listen to their album, only when it comes to the premiere, she was interested in the process of creating a CD that fans will love. team. The minutes passed in a friendly atmosphere as they stood in front of the several-storey building. The wall, kept in bright colors, lost its former splendor, it was impossible to notice the subsequent layers of paint imposed on it to camouflage the activities of the treacherous weather for so many years.  
Was she stressed? It was strange, but she did not feel it, she had no reason to be nervous. She was confident in her decision, she did not want to retreat just because she could feel pain. Yes, she was aware that she would not miss suffering, but what it is when artistic painting soon appears on your body. She was not sure, however, about her project, whether she would be accepted at all, she was sure that she would agree to slight changes, but not a complete change. With a heart beat with excitement, she left the vehicle, putting the shoulder bag on. She accelerated the pace of the musician, who walked to the pavement, which led to one of the side streets, wanted to continue, but it was stopped in time when the man opened one of the glass doors. She was surprised that she did not see any sign before entering, but she did not intend to argue. He crossed the threshold of the tenement house, entering the versatile vestibule, and her senses attacked the sound of the songs played by the employees. She looked around intently. The white plaster of the walls adorned the poster of numerous people, on which there were many tattoos, colorful paintings that were to remain with people forever. Her attention was drawn to the man sitting, at the dark counter, leading a lively discussion over the phone, saving scrupulously something in the notebook in front of him. She heard her saying goodbye to a powerful customer, wrote a few formulas, and then looked up, noticing the passing of the boss, who was accompanied by an inconspicuous girl. He rose from the dark chair, stepping behind the desks. She watched her defeating the distance between them.  
— Hello boss — he reached out to the musician, and her eyes showed numerous paintings on his shoulders.  
Colorful drawings that almost came to life on the skin gave the impression that they were in harmony with each other. Amazing how such small works of art can add charm. She looked at him with the eyes of her bright eyes, a man with a powerful build, his broad shoulders were pleasing to the material of a black blouse, she had no unnecessary ornamentation, only strings that hung from a dark hood. The slightly unbuttoned material showed a dark T-shirt with a thick musical motif, but could not see the whole name. Legs were leather pants.  
She felt her heart tremble anxiously as she felt the blue-gray gaze of a man on her. She hated the reference of her eyes worse about the steel of the former boy's brown eyes beneath the cascade. She tightened her hand tightly on the edge of her purse, it was like a return to the past. Unwanted memories of the very thought that trembled with uncertainty, fear drowned her dangerously, telling her to return to her omens. She knew that it was not rational that he had not been in her life for a long time, but the mere mention of these rare eyes made her entire mask of peace want to fall. Now, however, she could not afford it. She could not stand the thought of reminding her of the life she wanted to forget.  
She did not pay attention to the two men's discussions, staring at one of the posters that showed a woman with numerous tattoos on her hands and back. Immersed in her thoughts, she did not notice when a tall girl stood at the threshold of the door, clad in black and navy blue. The outline of a delicate belly appeared even through the dark fabric of the shirt.  
— How is she small? —how her brother's voice reached her by mistake.  
Uncertain step, she came up to him, pausing a bit from behind. She should not be prejudiced against people she has not yet met, but a seed of uncertainty, which she could not eradicate, was planted in her mind.  
— It develops properly, and this is the most important thing, it already gives mum to burn — turned in the direction of lightly giggling women who gently stroked her tummy.  
—I hope that I will receive an invitation to the christening.  
She did not want to listen to their further discussion, they did not let her stay with her thoughts for a long time, of which she was undoubtedly happy. She did not want it to torment her again. She had such a great hope that it would not return to her moments she was so afraid of, one look was enough. A shade of eyes that she hoped she would never see in order to evoke her moments of self-doubt.  
— I leave her in your safe hands — said the vocalist, looking meaningfully at the nineteen-year-old — "Young, it's Cindy, I leave you under her professional hand — he announced, before he disappeared with the other employee behind one of the door pairs.  
With a doubt she looked at the young woman, her blond hair meant against the background of a fairly dark outfit, but at the same time she did not lose her charm. She looked very shapely, despite the small gift she had received and bravely grew under her heart with the first consolation, hoping that soon she would be able to look at her first steps or hear the first word she said. The miracle of birth has always been beautiful. She could see a refreshing smile on the tattooist's bloody lips, as if she had unconsciously sensed her stress, wanting to comfort her.  
With a wave of her hand she encouraged her to follow her, at the same time presenting herself saying that today she will be the artists who will make her the first new painting. She crossed the threshold of one of the offices, did not have time to look at the decor, without a word went to the desk where she saw a computer and a machine for printing templates, and a few useful devices.  
— Do you have your chosen pattern? — He asked her in an instant.  
She suppressed her urge to jump up, tore herself from the depths of lethargy, sitting on the edge of one of the armchairs. She grabbed the edge of a bright purse, opened her flap, and after a while removed the sketched design from her over days ago. A pattern that fascinated her so much. She handed it to the woman who caught the paper between her long fingers, carefully watching each line or the selected color on the painting.  
— Are you painting?  
—Yes — she finally said, not understanding the meaning of her question — Does it matter?  
— I do not always meet people who come with their own projects — she began to translate, approaching the scanner — You can say that it is only on the spot that they choose the pattern we are to prepare for them. For an efficient eye, catching a print or painting created with your own hand is not so difficult — she said, pressing one of the buttons — I can see that you are sure of your decision, because you create your own tattoo image — she praised her.  
The corner of her mouth rose slightly upwards. Although conversations with the newly met people still made her difficult, she felt a strange feeling that she could trust her a little, she had to spend the next few hours under the needles. Only now did she understand the meaning of the act she was doing, but fear was still strange to her. She was almost sure of that. Life is too short to keep to some extent off the beaten track she has been doing so far. The months she spent in the city of angels under the care of her brother meant that the quiet and eternally hidden girl went into oblivion, she could afford to be herself. A person who had been imprisoned in her body for so many years. Spontaneity and a bit of explosive character made itself felt, now that she could break the proverbial stocks that imprisoned her in her own existence, she could now say she was proud of herself. She has done so much in such a short time.  
— Are you sure you do not want to make any changes — she asked, slightly tilting the monitor so she could look at the final effect.  
She looked carefully at the transferred drawing like a template, did not see anything that could not satisfy her. The colors of the blue seemed even more intense than on her sketch, but it did not bother her, she was happy, and that's probably the most important thing.  
She nodded slightly, which further strengthened the woman's beliefs.  
She watched her next move closely as she made several changes to the file with her own project, and then sent the document for printing, so that the template that was to be found on her body would come under the special tapes. She saw the tattoos rise from a rather comfortable chair, approaching one of the lockers where the machine that had already printed the final sketch of the project was hidden.  
There was no question of the deaf silence that prevailed among the girls, the woman turned out to be extremely talkative, what she valued, she did not like the unmistakable silence that usually made her feel uncomfortable in the present company. Cindy did not let her, pulling her into conversation. She did not remain indebted when the woman asked if she would embellish her body with some color paintings in the future. She did not know herself till the end, she was not sure how this image would be accepted, yes she did not hesitate, because she wanted it, but would she want to paint something else on her body, create a canvas for him, like she paints on bright pages paper.  
The expectation was only heightened by her curiosity, staring at Cindy's attention, drawing a template with a drawing to her naked back, washing it with a special liquid beforehand. Despite the small difficulties in looking behind her shoulder, it did not discourage her from looking at the tattoo artist, who focused on the film with print. She ordered her to wait, and she disappeared behind the dark mahogany door, remembering that she must prepare the equipment.  
She sighed quietly, taking the phone from the inside of her purse, the diode signaled the missed notifications, but she did not care too much when she noticed a lot of notifications from the social network on the lock screen, including many people who were watching her. She was amazed by the sudden number of people, because, despite the fact that her accounts were public and had quite a large group of people, she did not think that she was so interesting to look at her entries. She was rather casual to teenagers, whose only dream is to go to college. Curious with such an urgent activity, she entered one of the notifications, the corner of her mouth gently rose upward when she saw the blue background that enveloped the white bird. She traced her recent entry, in which she did not know anything extraordinary, she just got bored and put on some photos. She sat on it when Chester and I went to the studio. She did not expect people to receive it so positively, but not only was it the object of their interest, when she looked at other entries she noticed her work, which she had to send to recipients. For some time she has been taking pictures of each of her work, putting them in a special folder, she wanted to have documented what she created, she did not hide, it could help her in the application for an art school. She had to deal with these shipments, because she did not want to drag it any longer.  
— Ready? — She jerked her head at Cindy's warm voice.  
She stood nearby with the paints and machines she had prepared, everything looked like a newly opened one, which was a priority in a good salon. She blocked the phone, hiding it inside her purse, only now began to feel a slight stress, but she did not intend to show her weaknesses. She knew that they were unfounded and in no way justified. She slipped into the dark armchair, which looked more like a couch, the blonde waited a moment until she lay down in the right position to please her for hours.  
— Can we start?  
— Yes — she said confidently.  
She closed her eyelids slowly, feeling the first prick in the lower back. If she was to be honest, if she felt so much, she did not feel the pain she expected. Yes, she heard people say that you will come into contact with the needle for the first time, but she will not get hurt. In her fairly short life she suffered too much, the suffering caused by the creation of a new drawing on her body was really mild compared to what she had been through fourteen years of life in the orphanage. She suppressed these grim thoughts, she did not have enough to bother with the old life. She gave Cindy her hand, which seemed to do exactly everything in a way that he could not hurt. Listening to a song released from the music station, it was only interrupted by the sound of the working machine, did not worry about it, lost in its thoughts and dreaming the vision of spending tonight in a romantic atmosphere.  
She knew that she would not get off the couch for a long time, because the pattern she chose was labor-intensive and the work was a bit enlarged, but as it is said, it is worth to wait for beauty. She was not aware of the passing hours, did not even pay attention when Rick entered the room, being careful not to distract his friend. She did not even pay attention to the conversation of the salon employees, which did not last long, after a while the man left to finish his job.  
The clocks showed a few minutes past four when Cindy finished coloring the image of the dragon, thus ending her little work, letting her leave the couch. She held the scraps of the blouse, letting the woman apply the foil to the still wounded place, giving her instructions on how she should look after the tattoo, fastened the security, letting her leave her blouse, which she did.  
— Come with me.  
She accelerated her pace, taking the abandoned clutch along the way. The woman defeated the door when entering the room, where two men were vividly discussing something, over her shoulder she saw her brother, who was talking to a strange man, which surprised her was not Rick who greeted them. However, she did not focus on the stranger's face.  
— How are you? — She heard Chester asking, which caught her attention.  
— Even good — she muttered softly.  
However, she felt the pain that pierced her, but as her blonde said, it was normal during the first session, she explained that the place where the choice was made is a bit embarrassing and makes some clients suffer, but it is bearable.  
She found a dark wallet deep inside her purse, but before she could get it out, Chester warned her, paying not only for her treatment, but also for her sister. He could see the disgust in her eyes, but she did not object, though she assured him that he had enough money to make the donation himself.  
Leaving the living room, Julia dragged her brother to a nearby restaurant for dinner. She knew that she would not have time to prepare something until she went to meet Mike, he was also arranged with Katline who offered him a way out to a club he could not refuse.


	52. TOM 2— TAKEN: 08  — ROYAL HOLIDAYS

She hid under the branches of a large palm tree, whose leaves arranged like a fan made of flowery patterns, hiding the faces of high-born ladies or princesses, almost like in the stories in which she liked to read. A tiny slovakian perched on a branch of a nearby tree to sing his own melody, humming songs written by his mother, note on a melodic staff, but he seemed to remember her, he remembered every beat, as if everything he did was a creature of melody. Your mistress's songs. She rested her hands on her chin, staring dispassionately at the pages of the book she had chosen.  
After many tiring days of work, where she sat up late into the night at the easel, dressed in her brother's slightly torn shirt, she painted more of the work she was to hand over to a customer who decided to order her painting. She could not say clearly how much she drew them, but the time devoted to them was extremely exhausting. She remembered the perfect moment when, with a heartache, she refused to meet her boyfriend again, whether she would put off together with her friends when she did not know what to put her hands on, because the painted paintings overwhelmed her. Not physically, but she was already mentally tired, still creating almost the same. There was not much to change in the picture if it was to be honest. Still painting the landscapes of nature or creating a sketch of a favorite artist already bored her. She did not deny it, she loved it, but she could not stand the pattern, so when she sent back the last drawing, she grabbed one of the older sketchbooks she used at the beginning of her high school, reminding herself of the cartoon story she was creating. She had not shown it to anyone yet, but she had to admit, browsing through the pages painted with illustrations, did not think that so many of them would come out. She could easily say that she had gathered material for a fairly large comic book.  
Was she going to spend it?  
She was not convinced yet, if she was honest, she did not see herself as the creator of a story created from pictures. She began to create these little paintings after one of the quarrels with Adrien, when the frustration and irritation smothered her mind, she reached for her unused notebook, pouring on the paper her feelings after their rather turbulent conversation. With time, she began to take advantage of the moments between school classes and additional activities when she was waiting for a teacher of the given classes, not wanting to waste time when she spent time alone in the corridor.  
However, in the last year of high school she could complain about any lack of interest in her person. She was one of the most popular people in the school community, to her surprise. She gained respect in the eyes of other peers or lower-class students, putting on a girl who hailed the queen, which few liked. However, she was most annoyed by the fact that everyone was counting on her, as if she were going to make order among the students called elites. She, however, belonged to the girls who decided to change something in their lives, again not to become a laughing stock or an outcast who is moved into the background. She gained the enormity of friends who stood behind her wall, a faithful circle of friends who would not even have to keep on younger ones. Teachers will probably remember a warrior who for a long time was afraid of a school corridor, despite her appearance and friendly relations, she knew how to put everyone in a vertical position.  
She was astonished by this transformation, because she did not think that it would be only three months to make a teenager with a cat-like claw who would not spit in her face from a fearful and mysterious rebel. The insults, now strange to her, from communing, she laughed at the thought that she would be sitting in a corner, during school breaks, in the new educational institution she was in the center of attention. It can be said that she has become an informal leader, but if someone even mentioned it aloud, and in particular with her irritated to the limit, once again explaining that the only thing she does is defend her opinion and opinions.  
When she began to think about it, she felt an unpleasant cramp, as if something dull stuck in her heart. She never thought that she would feel a longing for April's not very attractive face, or the constantly tiring teachers, but the beginning of September made her body feel conflicting emotions. Sorrow seized her soul when she realized that soon her friends would go to a higher university, meet many fantastic people, and she got stuck. She clung to the ground, unable to move. It troubled me that she still had to answer for the mistakes of her youth, now that her life has changed so much.  
She sighed, almost disappointed, with herself. She was supposed to forget about it, let herself live in the present, and she still remembered those unlucky days. She had to free herself from it and it was time to vent all with what she'd been strangling up to now. She had thought about it for a long time, she was afraid every now and then, but now she was sure of her actions. She was forced to free herself from the uncomfortable past, to draw a deep breath, to not choke, to feel the smell of salt water she loved so much.  
She flipped the page of the novel she read without emotion, but if she was honest, she could not concentrate on the text she was holding on her lap. She believed that the series had potential, she was pleased to read the fate of Queen Miriam, who after a stormy war between neighboring countries, sat on the throne as the heir to the throne of Avalon, soon married her beloved, who ruled a country two days away from the realm of the bride Duchess. When she decided to take on the next part of the adventures of the queen of the coastal coasts, allowing her to delve into the life of her only daughter Charlotte, she had to recognize that the author had not considered her concept of the fate of the ruler of Avalon. With each word she read, she felt the boredom I had overcome. She restrained her eyes with difficulty, just to not fall asleep over the pages of the literary novel, but the longer she stayed in it, she wanted to close the volume and throw it into the depths of a colorful bush of hydrangeas.  
She snarled irritably, slamming the top of the book, unable to bear the outlook of Miriam's daughter presented by the literary author. She threw her away from the soft blanket on which the two females were lying. She looked like a Maltese, wheezed something under his breath, turning his belly towards the warming rays of the Earth's satellite. The corner of her mouth rose slightly up when she saw the sight. She had to admit that she had had enough of sitting alone, yes she had been catching up over the last few days and she was still seeing Michael and the team, she did not count as much time, sitting with friends in some club or cafe. She thought that a day spent with a good book in her hands would make her a bit of a time, but it was not the same. Something was missing, the emptiness that was in her heart was unbearable.  
She found the white phone that had been abandoned just a moment ago, which almost blended with the background of the soft fabric on which she sat. In the end, he caught the gleam of a bitten apple, made it glow until the light of bright light stung her in the eye. She grabbed the smartphone to unblock the bright wallpaper with one hand. She smiled almost tenderly, glancing at the intersecting screen with a few notifications, but in the background you could see a picture of her beloved. She did it quite spontaneously, she did not have anything on purpose, though she loved to sleep longer, she remembered that day perfectly when talking to late night hours, she stayed with him, she wanted to come back, however, Mike was against it, heeded the memory of the former assaults of her ex-boyfriend he almost ordered her to stay at home. Was she dissatisfied? She could boldly say that being with him, she did not feel so embarrassed, they both needed a bit of privacy, she felt a bit uncomfortable with the thought that she had to see him while she was still living with her brother.  
She was covered with a deep sleep under dark cloth, slept with a deep sleep, she was still amazed that she let herself, the distance that separated them, felt free, as if her old life imprinted on her shoulders, and the existential existence of old life did not make her her so great pain, she was able to chase away the memories that rattled in her mind, to allow the dream king to take her to his own land, knowing that she had a man with whom she felt a strange calm, she could have thought of security that was stolen from her so many years ago.  
Although she did not belong to the morning brands, she returned with memories to that morning, when a golden ball of sunshine, taking her by the nose, brought her from her pleasant land of her own fantasies to wake up in the arms of her beloved. She was amazed by the sight she saw just after waking up. She did not hide, she was afraid a bit when she did not see him sleeping next to her, but she did not have a chance to panic when her senses attacked a rather quiet snoring from under the edge of a soft blanket. Gently revealing the edge, a rather funny view rushed into her eyes. She found him immersed in the depths of her secret dreams, enveloped by her closeness, felt the subtle touch of his hands that tenderly embraced her in a tender embrace, and he let himself lie down comfortably on her stomach, as if an uncomfortable position was not for him they will interfere with, and indeed clean, sweetness with the comfort that he allowed himself. He valued every moment spent with her, united in the passion of his tenderness, the only thing they wanted, that these moments would not end. She could not stop herself when she looked at the photo she was looking at when she was photographing it, and the desire to look at it was stronger when she set up this little souvenir to make her happy every time she grabbed the phone with her hands. She ran her fingertips over the toughened glass, and after a while she matured the main panel of her phone. She ran a finger across the screen to move pages that she had set up on several websites. She did not put in them chronology, but rather, which she often uses. In the end, she found applications that interested her, entered her, looked at the list of contacts, group or private chat with friends and relatives. She was curious, however, only one, it was amazing that despite the frequent contact and his number was in the middle of her number list, looking at the names of friends, she thought how much has changed since she left the orphanage. She could boldly say that the year she had spent away from Phoenix had radically changed her boring and colorless life. The canvas made of her cruel fate was filled with colors, vivid colors of the rainbow, about which she unknowingly dreamed. It filled the emptiness that surrounded her, the quiet days that she often experienced in the attacks of aggression, passed away, like a magic wand, and she could finally allow herself to take a deep breath and release the proverbial stick she stubbornly kept in order not to fall . Do not step back so as not to die in the dark abyss of your own self-destruction. She no longer wanted to hear the deaf echo that was spreading over the walls of the crater of her own poor existence. She now set the conditions, life has already stopped, to be hindered her, when with passionate passion he put sharp rocks under her feet, only to stumble, hurting badly. She became the queen of her own decisions.  
She jumped up a bit scared, torn from her thoughts by a furious barking Anika, who fled behind a nearby tree, wanting to catch the squirrel that lived in one of the trees again. It became her favorite fun when her little friend did not even dream of moving from her mistress's lap, lounging in the warmth of the morning, almost as today, when the Maltese was lounging on the edge of a soft blanket deep in the garden. She watched as the golden-haired dog put his front paws on the branch of a tree, trying to reach the animal. She laughed softly as the happy squirrel hid in the hollow of the next peanut she had stolen in the shade of a large teen tree. She jumped on the next branch, even more irritating her many friend, who began to bitterly try to get to the crown of the tree. She smothered a silent laugh that caught her lips, recording the last words of the message. By pushing the green button, she blocked the device, waiting for a response.  
She watched as Junka rolled over on her tummy. She looked down from under the white hair, which covered her eyes slightly with her owner, whose corner of the mouth slightly rose up, encouraged her to come to her, which she made with enormous satisfaction. She stomped toward her and she caught her in her hands, seating her hips. She exposed a bit of long hair from her dark eyes, and after a while scratched her behind the ear, which delighted the pooch very much.  
— You could use a hairdresser — she murmured, seeing her somewhat lengthy bristles.  
Ever since she received this little pet from Chester, the dog never looked happy, on the contrary, the musician laughed that he was even a happier dog than his companion. She never neglected this little crumble, she always found moments to properly take care of her, even on the days when she was overloaded with work, she had to find moments for this white ball. She read a bit of opinion about the Maltese, realizing that they are dogs full of love, but like every quadrupe needs sensitivity, but you should pay more attention to spend on hair or eyes, which she never neglected. Even if she did not have a good mood, she wanted to do everything to make her blush, spent a few minutes with Junka, washing her dark gaze, giving her irritation, she could not be indifferent when she was initially opposed, she remembered well how after one of these fights between them, the bathroom was flooded, and she stood in soaked clothes unusually overjoyed. The moments that she spent then made her feel joy and old casual despite her hard times.  
She could hear the faint sound of notification that melted in the air. She discreetly grabbed the vibrating device between her hands, awakening the screen, and she looked at the message from Mike, who was almost delighted with her proposal for a walk. She had to admit that she needed this moment, along with him. Not once laughed that despite their intimacy became a bit stronger, they still behave like two friends madly kept in themselves, moments that they spent on innocent kisses or just showing feelings, now it has become stronger, however, with friends still preserved the appearance of ordinary friends . If she was to be honest, the band certainly knew about her relationship with Shinoda. It was not possible to hide the unreasonable subtext directed towards them or silly smiles when they saw them together. She was aware of that, but still she was not sure what to say loud that they were meeting. She was afraid of her brother's reaction, she was not sure how he would arrange that he was dating his best friend, who was much older about her for a few years. Yes, maybe he persuaded her to talk to the musician, but she was afraid. She was afraid that she would take it away badly, she did not have the awareness that her brother knew very well about their intimate relationship, if he was honest, he did not mind that his bandmate would meet her younger sister. He trusted Michael and he had a lot of respect to make you aware that he did not have to worry about anything, the uncertainty about harming Julia in his heart, he had known the rapper for many years, he knew that he had never done anything against the will of his ex-wife or partner he met. One could say that he was an ideal candidate for women who needed stability, security and warmth of what his sister needed most.  
She took off her bitch from her knees, which was clearly dissatisfied with this turn of events, but she had to get ready. In spite of the later hours she was still in pajamas, she could afford it when the bushes by the wall were dense and high enough to separate them from neighbors or busy road, creating a charming corner as if living in a house near the city enjoying the calm and embracing them the silence of nature. She reached down, grabbing the edges of the blanket, brushing off the grass from the bright material. She folded it in half, then made a few similar movements so that after a moment, the folded material rested on her hands. She grabbed a book that had been left a few minutes ago and an empty jar that had been filled with iced lemonade before, passed through a gravely bridesmaid, hearing behind her footsteps and Anica, who was discouraged by another attempt to catch the animal, decided to return to the cool apartment. The heat that had been prevailing in the city for a few days did not give rest to the inhabitants, many of them spent those warm days on the beach when they returned tired after work to their flats, or used the privileges of a bathing home by jumping into the cool pool water. She herself was not an exception when she spent the last two days basking in the pool, making her cool shade of brown a vivid color. However, it was not unpleasant when, on the first day, the sun soothed her so much that in the evening she lay burnt rubbing her aloes back in her wounded lungs to somehow ease the wounds. She complained that this was the last time she allowed herself to take such a sharp sunbath, but it did not discourage her, when the next morning she was encouraged by warm water drowns, jumped under the surface, enjoying a nice water bath.  
She climbed the stairs, stepping onto the patio wooden boards, put everything on the dark sofa, which stood shrouded in the shadow of a bright umbrella, crossed the threshold of the balcony door, and chilled her in the living room. She muttered, feeling the breeze of a cold breeze on her bare shoulders.  
She could hear the television playing in the background and the voice of the announcer, who commented on the passionate results of the football game, paused in the passage looking at Chester who watched another match of his favorite team. She had never been sympathetic to sports, so she used his inattention earlier and slipped into the garden to read, listening to the music of mother nature.  
— How results? — She asked, which caught the man's attention.  
He measured her with the look of his dark irises, she did not care too much, he probably wanted to comment on her unusual outfit again. Sam, however, put on a comfortable Sunday sunday, remaining only in pants, the shirt went into oblivion already during breakfast. It was hard to live these hot days, although the city of angels, famous for its warm and hot weather, the last days were a nightmare. It was hard enough to withstand no less than two hours at the court, so she decided to take a stroll at such an early hour, she was aware that the next hours would be a real hell. Listening to the forecasts for the next days did not seem to cool down, which meant that the beginning of September was unusually warm.  
— They win with two points — he announced, returning again to watching the football game.  
— They got up after the last defekt — she said as she passed him.  
She stood in a fairly cold kitchen, dark regrets were lowered, to protect the house a little from excessive heating. She put down the trained mug on the bright kitchenette, opening the lid, then removing the jug from the fridge filled with refreshing lemon water. She poured a drink into the glass vessel with which she had practically never parted, covering it with a black cap with a bright tube. She grabbed her between her fingers, leaving the kitchen, stood in the entrance to the living room where she found a fairly charming view. The females lay on the couch, and satisfied Junka climbed to the musician's knees, closing her dark blind.  
— Do you deny yourself somewhere? — she heard the brother's raised voice in the distance.  
She stood on the first step, turning over her shoulder to look at him. She saw him watching her researchingly. Her lips curved in a slight smile, and she with great difficulty stopped the moan of irritation. She did not like how he looked at her like that, he was almost drilling a hole in her mind, which irritated her, but she could understand his embrace. He had kept an eye on her after the recent events, even though she was already an adult, and he no longer had to keep the ruler over her, which he had to make until he finished high school, worried when she left. He did not want to repeat the situation two months ago when she unexpectedly left the house and did not return for the next four weeks. His fear intensified her past, which she was tired of, but she did not intend to make him fuss about it. For many years, someone cared for her, had a taste of warm family and sometimes excessive security of his brother, but he did it for her good. He felt fully responsible for her, he could taste the aftertaste of the future for the first time, when he would have to be responsible for his own children. Julia was a slightly different story, she was teenagers, which he did not hide, he did not have to raise, but for several months he was forced to exercise the parental ruler over her, but what he could do more when his sister hardly ever gave him reasons for disappointment. Yes, there was a situation with drunkenness at school, but if he was to be honest, he did the right thing. He did not belong to the high school angels and he got into fights himself, so he was not surprised when the teenager put on somebody when the girl wanted to trample her pride and student respect. They argued, and yes, it would be strange if there were no arguments between them. They liked to irritate or cut off jokes, but in serious situations they were able to keep the sobriety of reason.  
— I'm going for a walk —Her sudden voice ripped him from the depths of his mind.  
She looked up as he gently nodded, and she rushed over the bright steps, entering the bright corridor. She stepped briskly into her kingdom, putting a cool drink on one of the chests, and a telephone that was still announcing new notifications from social networks, since her followers came, she could not do without the daily dose of news that was still coming to her phone or tablet. If she was to be honest she was indifferent to this little fame on the Internet. She has been conducting her social media for some time, still maintaining this mysterious note, which was even more interesting to people. She sighed heavily, opening the wardrobe door wider. She stood in the middle, eyeing a large collection of clothes, for a long time she did not remain asleep when a blue-and-black dress without straps rushed into her eyes. She did not want some shorts, she left today, what girlish style, she grabbed the hanger with the crepe between her fingers, and found a matching bolero. She did not have much time, but she needed cold streams of shower water that would cool her down a bit. Pensive, she crossed the threshold of the bedroom, she was not aware of how she had reached the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, noting on her face some baking past the hours spent in the privacy of the flowers and tall trees. Although this time she hid from the sun, it was impossible not to notice the dark tan on her shoulders. Slowly she took off her nightgown, a sudden gust of cool air enveloped her, hid her clothes in the back of her basket. Removing the dark clip from the cascade of her auburn hair, she went into the shower, putting away the unnecessary decoration on the shelf.  
A stream of almost ice-cold water made her unpleasant shivers, but after a moment of unpleasantness, she relished the cool bath. She needed to immerse herself in the depths of drops to wash off the weight of this hot morning. Humming a song, she hardly found the champagne, looked at the label that showed the cocoa beans, informing about the smell of the product, and though she often used a much different hair care product, she had to check what action her probiotics would have. Emily had recently recommended a good series of shower cosmetics, she was skeptical about them, because she did not work for many things, but she had to admit that the products recommended by her friend were perfect exams.  
The minutes were getting long when she stood under the shower, and the last thing she thought was leaving this pleasant place, but she had to overcome the temptation and go out to prepare for the meeting. She grabbed a soft towel lying on one of the cupboards, wrapping herself in it. She was looking at the second material she often used to tie her hair, being sure she left him in the same place, she saw him lying on the edge of the tub. She tied her hair, standing under the mirror. She grabbed the hair dryer, turning on the electric appliance. She did not want to make a make-up today, even if she did it, it would probably have drained quickly. She could forgive herself because she looked pretty good herself.  
She set the phone on a stand attached to the mirror, finding some interesting play list, after a while the first notes of Brian McFadden's song - Demons. A vocalist of pop music that will take over her heart. She could say that he charmed her with her vocal, although she did not belong to people who prefer this kind of music, the Scottish vocalist had something that attracted her attention.  
Singing with the singer, she dried her hair, from which still water ran, she thought about a haircut for a moment, but she did not want to play anything clever. She belonged to people who even loved to comb their hair in different coca or braids, which she often used while still going to high school, now she could not afford it. She focused on tangling her light brown strands into a French tress. She tangled the last strands of her hair, slipping the pony she'd created underneath, slipping the hairpin into the hairpin so that the hair would not break down quickly. She looked absently at her watch, which showed a few minutes before twelve, dumbfounded. She grabbed the lying dress alone, drying her body with excess drops of water, and then she slipped it over her body.  
She left the room dressed, hurriedly grabbing the overcoat she did not want to dress anymore. She entered the room, throwing dark material on one of the armchairs, rushing to the wardrobe, trying to find matching shoes, cursing her absentmindedness, grabbing the ballet shoes matching the blue hall, slipping them onto her feet.  
She left the room at the moment the doorbell rang throughout the house. She hurried down the stairs, beating her distance from the door, not forgetting about the clear glass of the drink, she shouted into the house that she would open, ran into a somewhat darkened corridor. She corrected the material of the dress slightly, which slipped her in a slightly mad race overcoming the resistance of the door.


	53. TOM 2— TAKEN: 09  — PROOF OF MURDER

She fled hurriedly down the bright glistening steps in the midday sun, careful not to stumble over their edges. She preferred to avoid the situation from the weeks before which her uncertainty had led. Though she had always been cautious about how everyone had happened and her mistakes she could not avoid. She repeated herself many times that perfection does not exist when her mind wanted to strive for it. Yes, she valued idealism in her works, but life is not a pure Fence of the painting, which only what awaits is filling it with multicolored pencils hidden in the casket of her drawer. People who think that perfection is a determinant of their lives exist in a deceitful illusion. They try to adapt the world to their worldview, but the truth was different, fate guides their bridesmaids, he allows them to make a living, and they can only adapt. Not many people know that such thinking can lead them to destroy the glass palace, which they would like to exist.  
There will be a day when they will finally look at their eyes, but will they be wise enough to break with the delusion that surrounds them, to lead their lives themselves, even in those moments when they encounter obstacles in their path. She did not think about it, it had ceased to bother her mind for a long time, when she understood that she could only take care of the details while working on her, fate was perverse, it could never be perfect.  
She climbed a two-step elevation, shouting into the flat that he would open. She stopped in the cool entrance, correcting the edge of the bright ruffles of the dress. She clenched her fingers on the edge of the gilded handle, defeating her resistance to the mahogany wings that gave way under her pressure.  
She opened the door to meet his full dark gaze. The glow of the golden sun shimmering over the blue sky reflected like a sheet of distorting mirror. She had the impression that she knew nothing but the depth of the depth of his eyes. She loved to stare at him for hours at his eyes, which told her so much, and at the same time concealed a certain power of mystery. She loved it when he looked at her with a vague look, trying to uncover the pages of the journal she hid in the depths of her mind. At the same time, she loved in him that he allowed her to reveal the truth, the burden she carried on her shoulders for less than six years. She did not judge her, did not punish her, all she needed was understanding. Support she could not ask for. He did not ask her for a deeper explanation of what she valued, she did not know whether she would bear it with her proudly raised head, or let her play with her emotions again, let herself be tied again on the laces, becoming a doll that can be maneuvered. As someone wise said, the end of stopping behind you, it's time to think about yourself.  
She could not think about it, fall back into the thoughts that made her mad. After all, she could not break up with her prejudices, which, ironically, are not able to maintain themselves for too long. She never knew how to keep her words, which was evidenced by a man standing in front of her, who would almost smell the tang of next moments spent alone with her beloved. She ceased to punish herself for breaking her word, if she would go in, she would not enjoy the relationship with the one who loved her.  
How selfish she was when she let herself be enslaved by the hardships of her old life, let herself be carried away again into this crazy whirlpool, a hurricane she could hardly break away from. She escaped away, not to relive the proverbial storm that was taking place in the turbulent sea of her own existence. She wanted to end this turbulent period in her life, but she was aware that she would not make this shelf her mistake of youthful infatuation, she would still be present in this picturesque metropolis.  
The vastness of the world can be frightening, but what could she say when it was only a few months to let her return to it. A demon who almost destroyed her own judgment when she was lost, never to return to the arms of this treacherous love, the intimacy that led her almost to death.  
A subtle fragrance of delicate perfumes awakened her from the depths of her thoughts. The smell of the gentle breeze of the ocean, mixed with a hint of mint, was too familiar to her. She raised a slightly dim look, which made him laugh. He laughed softly, seeing her absent eyes. It made him feel like his partner from a strong and unyielding person could become so delighted in love. Not once did she make him argue that he would not use his personal charm to charm her, but he could not help but look at her like a charmed puppy in his first female partner. Julia, despite her delicacy, was a hard teen, which she proved not once.  
She watched him with slightly narrowed eyelids, as he bent slightly forward, and again felt her breath trapped in her larynx, as if she had come back to the evening after the opening, where she was allowed to taste the sweet-bitter smell of tender passions. She had been thinking about this moment, that one evening that could have been the beginning of a relationship that had been transformed into something stronger when it let herself be enslaved. She was again a prisoner of her own love. But did she like it? It could have been that she was almost impressed. She learned a certain type of feelings, secretive, which she could never see in her previous relationships, now she could have them in her grip, feel their peculiar smell, smelling of sea and mint.  
She grabbed his hand, she was longing for that tender touch, the lust that kept them tightly clasped in their arms, like strong chains chained to metal beams in a dingy room. He did not protest when she gently put her fingertips to a slightly exposed clavicle, wanting to feel the taste of his full lips again. She suppressed the shadow of joy that rose in her corners, and he tried hard to sneak out of her mouth, but when he felt the touch of his hand that slid down her waist, she could not be indifferent when she lost again in their little rivalry, taking over her total advantage. In spite of her disgust, however, she loved the little gameplay they had when he tenderly kissed her lips with affection. The experience that was so much smoldering in her breast, but sometimes it seemed that her mind was trying to fool her when he suggested suggestively different visions. Paintings that burned with shame, feeling embarrassment at their thinking, but on the other hand, she was the person who was thirsty for greater tenderness. Previously she was fearful, she was afraid to even talk about it when she heard her friends' conversations, she retreated into the distance, not wanting to hear about it. With time, however, her understanding of closer contact with her life partner had become less troublesome, but this could not stop the juicy blush that bloomed on her pale cheeks as soon as she thought of more than ordinary kisses or ordinary hugs.  
— Are we going?  
His deep voice broke her from her menacholy, which she fell into. At the same time she was grateful to him, but she could not stop the disappointment that was smoldering in her heart when she could no longer feel the deep scent of mint.  
She tried to hide the reluctance that lurked in the corners of her eyes when she let her lead her way through the cobbled driveway, stepping behind the brass gate. They stopped at the edge of the pavement, staring at neighbors strolling around the neighborhood who, like them, chose an early walk. She looked with a jealous gaze at the woman on the other side of the rather busy street, crouched beside a little girl who clutched her grip on the wheelchairs, where the second child, sheltered from the treacherous rays of the sun, slept. Despite her cool immunity, such scenes caused her painful sting. She could do anything to resist such moments, but her heart does not listen. Although she knew very well the heavy mark of suffering she had been given to her, she would still be stuck in that proverbial grief. Sadness that she was the proverbial fifth wheel at the car, which at the earliest opportunity got rid of. It threw itself into the thick grass to spread over its own self—destruction.  
She tightened her fingers on Michael's hand, speeding up her pace. She pulled him with him, which surprised him, but moments later he understood his girlfriend's actions when she with a burning emotion turned her eyes away from one of the happy families. It never hurts them directly, but such a sight hurt her. She could get used to everything, even the threats of her ex-boyfriend, but the sight of a full and happy family was something she wanted to forget.  
They broke through a fairly large thicket of people who went out into the streets, which was extremely strange, considering the temperature prevailing outside. They passed many parents who entertained their children or discussed with their friends, and his mind did not escape, that the teenager was even more tense, he began to suspect that he regretted. She agreed to this walk. They finally stood at the entrance to her favorite park. She would not let him speak when he opened his mouth to ask if he wanted to go back and spend those hours of relaxation completely elsewhere, but she went hard, as if she knew the purpose of her journey perfectly well.  
She paused after a moment's journey filled with only a strange silence. He saw the shadow of a smile that broke into her raspberry lips as she pulled a bright blanket from inside the bag, spreading it slowly under one of the many trees that gave an amazing shadow. He watched as she fell on the bright material, smoothing the edge of her blue dress. She slipped dark ballet shoes off her feet, putting them on the edge of the soft material.  
— I have to wait for you for a long time? — She asked as she watched her, standing nearby, still watching her closely.  
She did not have to persuade him anymore when she looked in a hurry, took off her shoes, throwing them a bit away, did not remain alone long after he fell on a warm blanket. He laid down comfortably on a fairly lush green of grass that strangely withstood such hot days as today. The sound of barking dogs spread in the distance and loud laughter of children.  
She sighed quietly, unable to bear the sight of the toddlers playing in the distance who were escorted by their loving parents. She could not hide the disappointment that lay in her gaze, though mask it so much. However, she had to be prudent. With a quiet sigh she took advantage of Mike's suggestion, who with a wave of his hand invited her to hug him. She could not pass by indifferently. She lay comfortably next to him, taking care that the skirt was evenly arranged. She put her cheek on his collarbone, closing her eyes gently, giving the temptation of pleasure that led him by the nose.  
Absorbed in their own closeness, they did not see the distant silhouette of a muscular boy who stared at the scene with no small rage. The fury that slowly spread over his body, like poison, overwhelmed his mind and heart. The senses that should reasonably think were no longer relevant at that moment when the sick hatred told him to get this girl out of the man's arms, to give her a pain she would not forget. A teaching that would remind her of who rules her poor life. He was more and more scared by the idea that he was slipping out of his control and looking at her happiness. The joy that was returned to her in the arms of another man made his willingness to fight even stronger. He could not allow himself to be bothered, but all the time she slipped away. She slipped out of his dependent grip, rushing to another. Effectively, he threatened her, took its toll on her psyche, now he moved away, which he could not bear. Her hands tightened into a fist as he saw their fairly tender kiss in the distance, it pierced his scarcity of bitterness that filled his heart. He wanted nothing more than revenge on her. At the moment, it did not matter to him the guy who was putting his toy into it, and the desire to inflict painful wounds, to destroy the flimsy girl who had not been under his own control anymore. The will of the ruler over the human being demoralized him. He longed to return to the time when she was completely obedient to him, to know that he would listen to him, now he could also allow something more that he could not do when he was with him. A smile full of strange joy crunched at his wounded lips as he pondered what he could do to her. The time has come to start the second round. A game about his own win! He will be the winners, he will stop standing in the field of the loser. He will win this infernal game that would lead him to win.  
She sat leaning against the bough of a tree, leaning on Michael's shoulder, and a strange sensation echoed in her chest as a practically inaudible rustle of a nearby flower bed reached her mind. Discreetly turned to the side, wanting to make sure, as to their strange thoughts, still had the impression that someone is standing there and looking at her. She could feel the man's almost burning gaze, which made her feel a cold shudder. With a heart beating in her chest she looked at the brush, but she saw nothing. Only flourishing flowers that grew on the branches. She felt somewhat disgusted that being on a walk with her lover, her senses again trying to deceive her, lead her to the wrong side, but the more she thought about it, she once ignored her feelings, when she was poisoned her life, putting another obstacle under her feet . She lost her cool dose of reserve and peace when he stepped back into her somewhat well-ordered life with her shoes. She downplayed all the signs, then she had to bear the unpleasant consequences that she still felt today.  
Discreetly squeezed her hand on the edge of her phone, as if for fear that again on the bright display appears a sequence of numbers, digits that gave her a shudder, waved the phone in a single motion, but did not see anything on it except the mass of missed notifications from community portals, missing phone or news made her feel relieved, but for how long since he lurked around the corner.  
—Tiny all good — Michael's slightly worried voice woke her up from menacholia.  
She looked at him a bit absently, nodded gently, but she felt she was failing herself, trying to ignore the premonition that lay in her chest. She was quite convinced that she would regret it, but for how long under the dictation of a man who had poisoned her life for many years and did not even think about stopping, she could go so far as to say that if they were told to apologize to her, everything he had done to her that he would not go down, he would rather laugh at her, claiming that he is the perpetrator of all events, to what she did not put her hand on.  
She sighed practically inaudibly, but you could hear fatigue in her voice. She had had enough of this unequal struggle, the only thing she had asked to end this invisible war, but how could she be made to think that such a thing would happen was not in the nature of a possessive young man whose only purpose in life was to humiliate her ex-girlfriend. Could she hope that this dispute would end one day, that she would be able to look into the future without fear that someone would want to destroy all her plans. She got an incredible chance, which she used, unfortunately in her poor existence there is nothing like peace for a few months, she heard in her mind a quiet voice that almost ridiculed her of such trivial behavior, but was not promised that she would finally be happy, free from old life.  
The bitterness of disappointment filled her scarred heart, hurting extremely painfully. It felt as if the strange substance had spilled over her body, as if it was not doing any damage, but it was causing internal pain, which seemed even more hurtful than the dose of the damn poison she would take.  
— Yes — she answered almost in a whisper, but she felt her voice refusing her obedience.  
She did not even try to mask the salty aftertaste of her own thoughts. She did not protest when the cool fingertips, which were slowly tightening on her chin, tensed in herself when she saw that intense gaze on herself.  
— What's happening? — he asked, again as if the last answer was not too satisfying for him.  
— Nothing really, I was thinking.  
To answer succinctly and on the subject, as if trying to convince him of the rightness of his earlier speech, but she really tried to convince herself. Let me understand that everything is fine when the heart dictated it completely differently.  
— I know you too well, sweetheart, to believe that you just fell into a reverie. I know exactly what you have then a face, say!  
In an instant she lost ground under her feet. How could she think she could cheat him, even if she could do it. It was tormenting her, and at the same time she wanted to stay as it once was, hailed by a secret. But these secrets were already exhausting her, thoughts that did not give her peace, sometimes she thought she was falling into paranoia. Symptoms she was so afraid of.  
She looked with undisguised pain at Michael sitting beside her, who looked at her with worried eyes, tried not to look at him, but it was more difficult than she thought. She was always a strong person, and despite her failures, she stomped on the ground, but there were moments like today, when the only thing she dreamed about is to throw away how scared she is. He suffers from fear at the thought of the world around him.  
She could not find the arguments of her further opposition, she squeezed her slightly parted lips into an even line, remained passive to her feelings. She climbed on his knees, she did not like, she was too privileged to use the little one, she could even feel that she felt a little uncomfortable, she never let it before, but with him she was a little bolder in showing affection. In her mind, however, it was still a strange premonition that she could not allow herself too much. She confidently nestled into his arms, letting her senses rest from the vision of the evil omens that led her to frustration.  
She kept asking this one question, why he chose her, he had many beautiful and attractive women next to each other without stigma, which still harass them. Yes, she did not deny that she did not belong to the ugly people, but it was not just the appearance that mattered and the character. Personality could be different without intertwined secrets, but she was still living in a continuous secret lie, which over the last months began to weigh her down. He became a strong boulder placed on her shoulders to lift him, but this stone almost made her dizzy when she slowly lost her strength to go uphill.  
She glared at the bough of an aging tree, feeling like her body, a slight thrill as her mind flooded with a pleasurable wave of pleasure. She laughed softly when she felt a gentle kiss on her exposed collarbone that made her tickle light. She hid her face in the dark fabric of his shirt, giving her pleasure. She loved it, that he always knew how to improve her mood, even if he did not consciously make her lumbering senses flood with joy. He knew perfectly well her sensitive points, which she could not be indifferent to, he often liked to use it, even to improve his sense of well-being, seeing what joy he caused her.  
She raised her head to be free to move away from him. A glow in her blue eyes made her forget for a moment the sadness that enslaved her with her chains, now she looked at him, trying to mask the smile of joy smelling her lips, though she still tried to be serious, considering her last thoughts . She sighed a bit unsatisfied, putting his face in her hands.  
She could not recognize this sweet intimacy again when a sudden cry of pain came out of her throat. She tried to understand what was happening when she was brutally picked up from the ground, the tears that seeped in the corners of her eyes flowed down her pale cheeks. She tried to find out what had happened to look around to see her attacker, but the hardship was in vain until she saw the striker's hand. Black gloves without fingers, she knew perfectly well who wears this characteristic decoration. Now she began to comprehend why, from the moment of leaving the house, she felt a bit embarrassed, foreboding that never failed her.  
— Not you — she moaned miserably as her nostrils attacked the scent of choking perfume mixed with flecks of sweat.  
It almost made her nauseous, feeling the almost stinging smell. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion, the seconds of her reaction turned into long minutes that she was so afraid of. He jerked her even harder, her eyes pursed with her, feeling like pain, piercing her through.  
— I see you missed me, baby — he laughed hoarsely, feeling the taste of his breath on his neck — Putting on me will not help you, be polite girls, and promise it will not hurt — if he thought he spoke in a compelling voice. he could only be mistaken when she heard his almost mocking tone of voice.  
She shuddered at the thought of what his sick subconscious could think of, perfectly knew his possessive nature, when nothing could stop him from achieving his own benefits, this time his goal was her. Just a few weeks earlier, when she had succumbed to the feeling of being enslaved by his threats, she managed to control her once when he hit her for the first time, and she blinded her with a boyfriend who seemed her ideal, apologizing for being her pissed off. How much she had to be stupid to be beaten by a female boxer and not change the thinking of thousands of girls or women who were in a similar situation. She struggled to get out of the chains he had enslaved her, making it clear to her that she'd finished their relationship. He unfortunately has no idea what it means to end the relationship. She had no idea what he was sitting in his sick mind, while still as his goal in life he was imprisoned in his old scared girl raised in a dingy orphanage, he had the impression that he still saw in her the fifteen-year-old who loved to meet him, and the requirements she did not have a relationship, she was different now. She learned the values of sincere feelings and true devotion. She was taught a true definition of love and affection, but Kent changed, he could not look over his eyes to see it.  
— I'm not your property! — She shouted, trying hard to loosen his rather strong grip, for no good, he was much stronger than her.  
— Erroneous answer — he laughed like a madman.  
A man who seemed mentally unbalanced. She had long ceased to believe in his sanity, gave her many reasons to understand that she was suffering from mental illness. Possessive still wanting to dominate in a relationship that has long since gone to waste. He was thrown into the sea of waste like their friendly relations. She mocked the thought that she would be able to return to the times when she lived in Arizona where her little hell broke out, but still she was persistent enough that she survived the difficult of her life, but at what expense now she feels the effects of almost every night, unable to deal with the feeling of guilt. It was overwhelming her that she was still stuck in a strange state that even told her that her whole life was a band of failures on the other side, she wanted to fight it. Understand that if someone contributed to not properly taken actions, he was only adults. The people who were to guard her did not do it, now she paid for the mistakes of those she was supposed to call her parents. She could admit the mistake and understand it, but many of the fate seemed to have been going on since her birth.  
Clark Kent was the mistake of her teenage life, her mischievous infatuation and laundering the boy who seemed dangerous, but she was in it because she desperately wanted to be noticed by someone. Nobody managed to warn her through the master of acting, because of his personal charm he made her fall in love with her, and now a few years, when she understood the importance of her youthful choices, he can not get out of a lie that creates himself, deceiving that through your trivial behavior will again ignite the old feeling in her heart. Love that has been torn in half for a long time.  
He did not even realize it, the only thing he wanted to hurt, where it hurt.  
A cool breeze of steel made her scared when I felt the disgust of a penknife wedge near her side, the damn knife he always wore. As always, he claimed that it was for the sarona, but the truth was completely different and she knew her perfectly. He was aware that he was afraid of such sharp tools, giving her psychological pain, when someone carried this inconspicuous pocket knife, he could only be so proud that he managed to intimidate her so effectively.  
She barely managed to keep her face serious, not to show her weakness when she saw from the corner of her eye what satisfaction he was hurting her, causing her body to tear a huge suffering when, like a mad psychopath, she made an incision from her body from which she ran slowly crimson liquid. Keeping up was bordering on a miracle, she could not bear the tormenting suffering that seemed endless.  
Breath would imprison her in her breast when he gave her the chance to free herself, but she could not hold her strength. Seconds that lasted, almost exhausted her for minutes. She hesitated in pain when he gave her a painful blow, a kick that almost overwhelmed her, and the ragged skin seemed to have been destroyed in a powerful explosion. She fell to the ground, barely restraining her hands tearing from emotions and tears.  
She lifted her head, barely flinching her aching eyelids, looked with her heart-piercing Michael on the chest, she did not have to look at him closely to know that his eyes were boiling with anger. Although he knew her stories, now he met the demon himself, who had stolen from her all hope, whatever was born in her. He was a devourer of her own joy or trust in the world. He became a monster who destroyed it.  
She wanted so much to keep the next minutes that were happening in front of her eyes, she could only look helplessly at him, how rage eclipsed Michael's mind, he was always a sensible man who did not go so coarsely as responding to a double-attack attack, never it was not a solution, however, this time his instinct was the first to react before he planned the next steps. Full of fury he threw himself at his rival in a moment, knocking a knife from his hand. A penknife that almost dripped the blood of an innocent one who became a puppet wielding the puppeteer in her hands. A fucking actor in the theater of life, her own poor existence, which he tried to control her ex-boyfriend, when she cut up the strings that he was keeping him, he connected more powerful bonds, but this time she managed to slip away. Fun like a cat and a mouse, only she was in a losing position.  
Her hands were hurting more and more, she had the feeling that the chills that ran through her shoulders had a paralyzing effect on her, which even made her bend, but she bravely faced it. She had to gather enough perseverance to end the dispute. Conflict that was created by her! She pursed her lips to just restrain the groan of pain that stuck in her chest as she stood on unsteady legs. She still wondered how the task of wounds on a seemingly small knife, can make her so much pain, the suffering that ran slowly along her pale cheeks.  
On the shaky legs, she slowly approached Michael. She never knew him as much as she was angry at the moment when her longtime stalker was lying on the ground, his face turned white with fear what was new to her, when he watched the musician give him another blow, and he suddenly lost all confidence, what was in him when someone managed to defeat him.  
— Mike, no! — She raised her hand, clasped her fingertips on his raised hand, which she quickly caught— He wants you to lose his temper, wanting to use it against you.  
She bowed her head down, she could not control her body, as if she was cooperating effectively with her. But she was drowning in her thirst, remaining in her senses, stronger when she fought against her temptations, only what she could feel Michael's hands, his words reaching out to her as if through a mist, her voice becoming vague with every request, pleading to her He directed. Her senses went mad, for a few cuts through which her own existence seeped, as she lost all hope in an instant.  
A loud rumor was like a shower of ice water to her, effectively bringing her into the world of the living, when she lost contact with the musician, through the distorted picture she could no longer see his warm look on herself, which was viewed with a mixture of sadness and a burning desire for revenge on her former partner. She lost the contact she needed most at the moment.  
— Now we have time to talk — he laughed lewdly.  
She frightened, seeing a happy boy in front of him, amused by the whole situation, nonchalantly tossing a stone that only moments ago was his way to silence his rival when he lay unconscious in the lush green of the grass. He was not going to stick with her now. He was fully happy, that again the scale of victory tilted dangerously on his side, the sickness of satisfaction that smelled in him.  
He grabbed her arm, almost nailing her nails in her slightly tanned arms, even her loud protests failed to stop him, but he knew they could bring him trouble. He turned over his shoulder, glancing at the still screaming girl, the corner of his wounded lips rose slightly as he gripped his hand fistfully, again punishing her for insubordination. Her face was already pale with fear, and a swollen red swept over her sapphire shade of eyes. The look that he so longed to look only at him from the misperception of the world around him. When she was stupid enough to know that he was only a toy in his hands, not the real lady she wished.  
e threw her limp body into the nearby bushes, her futile attempts to break free proved to fail, there was no escape from him, she could not even hope, he would not give in this time. She shivered, seeing his smile, lips bending in a way that looked like a madman in the eye, but this truth was not so hypocritical. He crouched beside her, and she could see fury with pure rage that made his steel look even more cold, almost metallic.  
— Your betrayal princess will cost you a lot — He does not tolerate jumps to the side.  
She stared at him as he straightened, but suddenly the quiet bone of her jaw made her unpleasant shudders attack her, and tears filled her in her already tearful eyes when she realized that this boy was premeditated on her foot, as if he did not care, he gave her another painful blow against her slightly exposed chest, she bent in half when she felt sudden nausea.  
Minutes, in which she was subjected to another blows or an effective ride with a knife on her exposed body were tortures. She saw it after him, that he did not think to end, she did not count the one that had been hit once, did not matter the wounds that became her present-day business, she only suffered what she felt was the desire to overwhelm the darkness. Virtually his feelings did not reach her, she was lying in a pool of her own blood and existence escaping from it, only wanting to end his sick stage of jealousy. She was slowly losing hope, and her attempts to resist defiance with even greater strength. She gave up. She had nothing left to lose, her life eluding her and she could only surrender to his will.  
She closed her already swollen eyes, hearing his next insults and attempts to punish her, as he managed to determine. Suddenly, she stopped feeling anything, but she was still aware, she could no longer feel those burning strokes, the penknife poisoning her body, the sound of her struggling made her mind still in her right mind. She did not know what was happening until she felt the touch of someone's hand, but this time there was something subtle warm in him, but she did not have the strength to find out who was there, the only thing she managed to mumble the last word before falling into dark abyss.  
— I'm sorry — she choked weakly, a trickle of blood trickling down her lip.


	54. TOM 2 — TAKEN : 10 —  KILLER OR MURDERER

She rubbed her tired face with her hands, her heart racing in her chest, and she pushed her cool fingers away from the plastered cheeks. She suppressed a stream of curses, unflattering words as the tips of her fingers touched the material of the swab. It was enough for her to be distracted, at one moment she forgot to think rationally about her next step, words that were considered an insult to a lie that in his opinion should never leave her lips. She mocked the thought that she had to re-taste the damn poison hidden in the red apple, when the oblivious of all the princess choked on the bite of poisoned fruit. She was treated to similar sweets, the red apple fruit of which was full of bitterness. A sour taste of her old deeds, of those she was about to forget about, but she could not. Effectively, someone did not give her a moment's respite, preventing her from tearing away that choking bush from the ground and throwing it on a pile of waste. He wriggled around her like a strong loop, effectively dropping it, taking away the last gulps of air. He almost forced her to leave with her, which she did not desire for irony. She was still holding hard, struggling with the redoubled strength for a little space for herself.  
She stood up with considerable effort on her hands, leaning against a pile of pillows scattered on the headboard. The night was to give pleasure, give strength for the next day, when you sleep, wrapped in the arms of the king of all dreams and nightmares, the only thing he dreamed of even here would feel like the ruler of his own world. The land that they were allowed to create, and the happy Morpheus was watching this picture, they are glad that you can give up after a stressful day. She, however, had to take these desires aside when her mind took over her kingdom, controlled her with almost liking it with memories of her poor existence, he laughed loudly at her, that she could not cope with the demons that he himself created, almost made her for dizziness, when every night she woke up screaming with terror when her body wanted to leave some treacherous spirit. He took out the sword with a living fire, cut everything from the inside, the only thing he wanted to break it from her body. She was tired of these sleepy omens that did not let her rest, let her rest, give her no chance that she would be free from them.  
She stared at the bright curtain that was floating in the gentle breeze. The flounces of material seemed to float to the rhythm of the dance created by the wind, the steps of pleasure, almost like two lovers, who joined unwritten tacts of tango, steps full of passions, subtleties that dripped eroticism. As before, when she merged in this tany of body-language dance, when clock directions dangerously approached the north, when she understood the meaning of the meaning of true love the moment she gave her heart to the one she had the pleasure of calling a friend.  
She loved this sensuality dance that was so dear to her. Taught by a strict woman who had these Argentine rhythms stuck, she wanted so much to teach him that she did not pay attention to injuries, only tango counted. Dance, which then did not dance anymore. She gazed longingly at the looming terrace in the light, which encouraged her to come out, as if unconsciously he knew that she needed to get some fresh air.  
She sat down with difficulty on the soft satin bedding that made her shiver. She felt a pleasant tickle under her fingertips as she clenched her fingers on the mattress scraps to keep her balance, which was still difficult for her. With a groan of despair, she glanced at her foot, which had been put on for almost two weeks. She could not get used to this view, the consequences of her countermeasures with her ex-boyfriend. It came with considerable difficulty in her subsequent movements. Doctors could not get out of shock that the usual location of the weight caused a complicated fracture of the shin. No one, however, like her, knew the hidden monster that he had hidden under the insightful and charmed twenty-two-year-old. Nobody would suspect him that a boy who grew up in a happy and loving family has a tendency to sadism in a pure form of meaning. She fell victim to this beast in the body of an ordinary student. An indefinite envy spoke through him, which became stronger every day. The concept of jealousy in his opinion lost its natural overtone, it was no longer a jealous that his ex-girlfriend put together a life with a new partner was already an obsession. Sick, they rule depriving her they will bring her. Receiving her sense of mutual love.  
She carefully tipped her foot to the cool panels of her little realm, helping her to put a stiffened limb on the light wood. She still could not be reconciled with the thought that she was so easily able to approach this boy, she was aware of his licks, and yet again led to a situation in which she would make him happy, because she let herself do everything that he did to her, it was her next mistake. A breeze of oceanic breeze gave her a chill thrill. She found the small petticoat on the top of the blanket with which she was covered with little difficulty. She brought the dark fabric of the dressing gown to herself, carefully slid the satin onto her bare shoulders, which pleased her immensely.  
In the darkness she spotted bullets that had become her two friends over the last few days. Partners with whom she could not part for the next weeks of convalescence. She always enjoyed good health, she could not complain that she belonged to the sickly people, on the contrary, she could count the infections she had passed in her young life on her palms. However, the injuries after such a drastic demonstration of strength were new to her, and it did happen during her relationship with Clark that he did not raise her hand once, she thought it was not harmful, her irrational behavior that she was guilty of his rage . Do not understand the warning of his good friend who even begged her to quit this jerk before he becomes more dangerous, somehow his words would have worked on her, but they did not bring the expected result. She had to suffer a lot to understand the meaning of Anthony's words, but it was too late when the boy she had once loved became a destroyer who liked to take her life in a happy relationship. He did it once, he will not let it happen once again. In a way, she felt sorry for Justin that he had acted like the last coward, leaving her alone on the deck without any support, though she was so stubborn that she was not surprised by his sudden escape, but now she saw it. She noticed that if someone really loves, it does not go away without a word, and the only explanation is the fear of the former partner.  
She was very grateful to Michael that he would not let her feel it. Anxiety that accompanied her when she left the hospital walls after talking with Black. She left almost crying because she was lost again from someone. Her heart was brutally torn out of her chest, and after a while she would crush her into a wet puddle. She suffered for love only because of her unwise choice from younger years. She understood then that she could not afford to have any sincere feelings about another man. She could have been a stone person, but she did not want to collect the broken debris from her paved sidewalk again, and her tiny particles fell into the narrow crevices of the paved path.  
She was afraid to trust anyone, give him even a bit of her respect, but a certain musician stole her heart irretrievably and did not let him feel that nasty guilty feeling. She valued Michael that he was a sensible man, that he did not get caught up in the treacherous lies and the cheats series, whose task was to ruin the image of the teenager he had fallen in love with.  
Distracted, she turned slightly over her shoulder to get a glimpse of her shining eyes with him, in the light of the rising golden globe that had lit up the dark streets of the metropolis for many hours. Illuminated roads with colorful neon lights, which encouraged to enter the nearby club, contrasted against the background of streetlights standing guard on the street, which cast their warm light on pavers strolling on the pavement, who were hurrying to work at night to change whether students who used privileges of academic life.  
A pleasant murmur full of contentment lifted up from the nineteen-year-old bedroom bathed in the blissful silence. She smiled warmly, seeing her cuddle in the dark muzzle of the cat, the fluff of a pillow given to her by her two friends. She liked each other in moments when she could look at him, without unnecessary questions or curious eyes. She appreciated the calmness that lay in him, the substitute for incorrigible optimism or self-control that was sometimes strange to her. She did not intend to cheat any longer, she had an incredible opportunity to re-believe in the meaning of true love and did not want to waste it, through which the boy overgrown male ego and sick ambition dreamed the whole world.  
She leaned forward slightly, looking with considerable satisfaction as she wrinkled her nose gently, feeling the touch like feathers that almost drove him crazy. She caught an unruly lock of hair between her fingers, pushing it carefully out of her forehead. She saw how fully happy, he cuddles a nearby pillow, as if unconsciously clinging to the body of his beloved, which he hoped that he was dreaming away from the old memories of his life. The last nights proved to be tiring to her as she continued to wake up at night, shaking with uncertainty and fear. Anxiety has intensified already during a stay in a hospital where anxious nurses came running to her scared, at night asking for concern about her well-being. She never felt as embarrassed as when she had to explain many times that it was just a bad dream. They did not give her faith, but they let her relax. If she was naive that her attacks would end, next morning she would have to bear the next remarks of the doctor who led her so that she would come for therapy after such traumatic experiences. She subjectively refused at every possible opportunity, because she still thought she was giving herself advice, unfortunately it was her mistake. She ignored the remarks of experienced people, unaware of what her next days in the orthopedic ward would bring her.  
She sighed deeply, rising with considerable difficulty from the edge of the soft mattress. She held on to two black canes that would help her move around the house over the next few weeks. She put her weight on her body to keep her balance, which was not easy for her. She still could not get used to the damn stiffness and supporters, whose action seemed so simple, but still it was difficult for her.  
Cursing under her nose at her attacker, she went slowly after raising. The last thing she wanted to do was to accidentally fall. She knew that she was already worried about the whole event of Michael, who within the last week of leaving the hospital became even more sensitive to any sounds. Whenever he had a chance to see her or how to stay tonight, he was too sensitive. He was slightly irritated by his hypersensitivity and caring, but she did not intend to ban him. To worry and she was not surprised at all, she also had moments when she was afraid of him even in moments when there was nothing to them but friendship. Chester also did not remain indifferent, even if he could not, he was the person who helped her most when she had to sit alone at home. He helped in her little things, which became difficult for her, because she did not want to be dependent on someone, but if she had to rely on someone, no doubt she would choose her own brother. All she wanted now was to rest after the recent events. She always translated her good over others, now that she had to ask for help, she felt very embarrassed, for her little helplessness.  
She unveiled the curtains material, going out to the balcony bathed in the moonlight. She needed to breathe in fresh air, she was aware that she would not be able to fall back asleep, which in the last few days almost bordered on the miracle. She could already forget about a peaceful sleep, even when she was forced to take quite strong painkillers to somehow relieve her pain. She knew about their side effects, to feeling drowsy, but they did not work on her. Yes, she felt the urge to lie down to bed, but each time she cuddled up into soft cushions, the dream seemed to mock her, leaving her with loud laughter. It almost frustrated her when she could not sleep well despite her great intentions. She fell into a rather melancholy mood, when she could not focus on anything, it was difficult for her to recover after a serious surgery and a two-week clinical coma, which doctors introduced her to regain the hypnotized strength.  
She dropped onto a bright deck chair, carefully arranging the wounded foot on his soft material that she was lined with. She leaned against his headboard, taking a blanket from the armrest she wrapped in. Although autumn had quite recently begun, and the outdoor temperature had fallen quite a bit, the nights were still pleasant, but there was a chill when it was outside. She covered her feet with light fluff, she felt much better. She grabbed the edge of her satin bedspread, slipping it over her exposed shoulders.  
She sighed quietly, looking down at the small garden, lighted by the light of the small lanterns, which seemed drowsy, rested after a rather heavy day, unlike her. She listened to the sound of crickets playing in the distance, which won the melodies dictated by mother nature. She loved the simple one that was stuck in the green of grasses or shrubs, on which forest creatures hid, composing subsequent melodies of the dark night. The events of the last days have given her the markings, and she has been longing for the privacy of this cozy place.  
She wrapped herself more tightly in the softness of her cape when a sudden thrill ran over her spine. She did not care too much of the coldness that enveloped her body when she remembered the moments from three weeks ago. She believed so far that hijacking the ex-boyfriend was a good solution when she tried to cheat her loved ones, claiming that she could not do anything, that his pathetic attempts to gain her attention were just a scream to return to old times. Moments where he was subordinate to him, he could control her like a creature in the computer game, when love obscured her his real face. She did not see in him an overbearing young man, whose only purpose is to humiliate her, to destroy her, to break her mark on her psyche, but she did not deceive her relatives, she tried to lie to herself that she had any power over him. When the time came, he would hand him over to the appropriate services, but the truth was too cruel to her.  
She was afraid, she was afraid of him. She was trembling at the thought that her testimony would make her unable to come out of her next meeting with her boyfriend, douse her with a cold sweat at the thought that she was not now sitting on the patio of her bedroom. She could not let this thought into her sore mind. She would be stupid if she let it happen. She was aware of what she was going to do to recover her, but she remained adamant. She did not intend to kneel before him and beg forgiveness. She laughed when she remembered his empty words that led to her when he accused her of her infidelity. She mocked him, which led him to even greater rage, despite the huge suffering that spread over her body, did not give him this sick satisfaction, that he agrees to his lies, still considering her as his girlfriend. She more and more often believed that she was alive, in which fantasy she created, where she still lived as a seemingly happy couple, and she only escapes him. He did not think rationally when he tried to convince her that she had gone to treachery by meeting others when she had long ago formally and emotionally broke away all contact with him. She was more and more convinced that something was sitting in his head, and he had long since lost the perception of the surrounding world. Because as she had to explain his screams constantly, when he almost tortured her in this park, he taunted her, not sparing her curses.  
She was still astonished that no one heard his frustrated screams and her subsequent pleas for help when the sharp edges of the knife still hurt her. It tugged at her skin, tearing it apart, cutting something that would leave scraps and poor marks out of which he could not sew anything. The gleam of metal in the bright light kept her horrified. She was afraid that she would experience those few minutes of pain again when she humbly had to bear the fury of her ex-boyfriend. He made her a toy he was playing with.  
She stared with her heart-shaking bandages that wrapped her arms around her. She remembered the madness of her ex-partner to this day, when she had to, looking in the mirror, noticing a girl in her, who was again intimidated, for her own pleasure gave up and gave him an incredible opportunity to punish her. To set justice for her disobedience. It made her sick with the nausea of his words, which almost dripped with venom when he had only a few weeks earlier he had been pasting her in the privacy of the park. She did not count on anything at that time, the only thing she wanted at that time to end this nightmare for her. It no longer mattered to anything, a further struggle for survival or gathering enough strength in itself to curb his rule. Again she became that Phoenix girl who without a word of objection gave him an incredible opportunity, as he called it, "punishing her for her disobedience." Then she was blinded by love to teenagers who did not understand anything, it did not matter to her that the boy whom she loved over life allows her to hit her, scold her, did not count then the insults she sent to her, touching her like a sharp dagger crowed straight into her wounded heart. It did not matter to him as long as she listened to him and was loyal to him, but now she had grown up and understood the mistake of her youthful infatuation, letting him re-taste the sweet symphony of the ruler. She again allowed herself to be enslaved, becoming an odorless puppet in his hands. And he would be stupid if he did not use it. He hurt her, painfully showed what it means to disrespect his mendacious person. If she was to be honest, she never trusted him or saw him as a worthy partner in him, which in his opinion was reprehensible.  
The next meeting confirmed her belief that her ex-partner was in a dead faith that she would acquire, with a little bit of her attentiveness, the attention he so desperately fought for. He took up the battle to get her heart in the most cruel way he found. But if he had any affection for her, he had in her, though a bit of faith, whether he treated her with due respect, he wanted to achieve it through the clinic of the knife and his fists? He compares himself to a man worthy of her, daresay that he alone is glad of her heart, but could she think so, since he was able to take a step further, in their destroyed relationship. She laughed dryly, what she was thinking about. In the knowledge of her and Clark, there was never something like attachment or common sympathy, it was a system in which one side was benefiting and she did not stay in that position.  
He enslaved her then and tries to do it and now, probably thinks that the latest events will make him so afraid that he decides to leave the musician and return to this full of lies and boyfriend cheater, again get into the paws of a treacherous relationship where the main role he is playing.  
Not seeing him, she was no longer 14-year-olds who blindly blinded his tower with beautiful words or apologized, which never really meant anything, only his cheater to blur her mistakes, which he would probably forgive. How she could, to allow herself to do so, by creating what he had led her to. She was now sitting on the balcony after a few weeks' stay in the hospital, where doctors surrendered to her with a complicated operation to save her. She was grateful to this group of people, thanks to whom she gained her life again. It was not her time to leave, not when she wanted to end his eternal tyranny. Bullying for many years, which was endless. She knew one thing, she must stop being afraid to finally let him know that she had finished with him. She did not even try to understand his thinking, when he was filled with sick pride and the satisfaction of his eyes he was asking her another cut wounds. The bloodied blade tugged at her skin, making it almost painful for the suffering that had torn her soul. This glow did not escape her attention as he leaned over her, and she could feel the almost metallic breeze of her larynx. She remembered perfectly what she felt then. The enormity of the terror that crashed in her breast when he, like a psychopath, threatened to take her life away from her only to be with him forever. She would not be surprised if he moved. He was capable of this. He knew how to kill a man for his own benefit. Ironically, he did not share the fate of Evelyn, were it not for Michael's sudden reaction, who managed to break free from the daze and pull him away from her in time to make her feel like she was dying there.  
— Honey, what are you doing here?  
She heard, as if in the distance, the slightly hoarse voice of a man who wrenched her out of her sudden reverie. She raised her head to look over her shoulder. A slightly sleepy musician was standing in the aisle. She smiled tenderly as he tried to brush a strand of hair away from his forehead. It looked really comical, but it suddenly made her not-so-good humor escape, letting take the place of satisfaction that sparked her blue eyes.  
— Do you realize what time it is? — He asked distressing, passing through the cool patio.  
She looked at him closely as he walked slowly toward her. He sat on the edge of the light furniture on which she lay, staring at her curled figure. The chill of this evening was almost shivering, but as if she did not care about the wind on the composition, she looked at him with affection, but her scowling look was almost to him a proof that she was bothering her. She looked around herself cautiously, as if she had not come back completely, thinking about her, afraid that once again her ex-boyfriend was behind her with a lifted knife like Jack the Ripper, who was waiting for his victim.  
— I can not sleep — she admitted.  
Recent events have taught her to stop cheating them. Previously, she was almost happy to feed them with more lies, knowing that she was in control of her life, although in reality she was a real rollerblader for her, from which she could not get out and draw air. Almost nauseatingly, she made her queasy, in which she tried to reconcile her old life with the present, but something was wrong, because when they passed and they did not connect.  
— Nightmares?  
She muttered quietly in response, rubbing her hands over her shoulders in a gesture of warmth. Desperately searching for the warmth that has gone into space with every minute. It flew off to meet a mantle made of a million stars. But she longed for it, but she was not aware that the minutes turned into a long hour, which she spent outside the softness of the cold bedding and the safe arms of her beloved.  
— We're going back inside! — he announced it in a tone in which he would not tolerate her another attempt to respect his request.  
She sighed heavily, raising her head slightly, looking at him with the hope that he would let go and let her sit longer, but he stood unmoved, measuring her with the gaze of his dark irises. She was aware of everything she was doing, her being directed only by her good. Most, however, which made her almost frustrated is the injury that led her to her. She valued her own independent and free and now she was taken away for long weeks, which she would have to spend with her limbs in a cast. She did not give her words to the overbearing ex-boyfriend who had made a toy of her, a human mascot that he had torn to pieces in a fit of bad emotions. She was the teddy bear lying on the hardwood floor, which seemed never to return to its former state. She grabbed a piece of down material, gently pushing it away, taking care not to add more pain. Slowly she moved from the couch, she wanted to reach for the bullets, but her partner had a different idea. She muttered slightly dissatisfied when she felt her, tightening her hand on her side, clinging to him more when he slipped his other hand between her knees, easily lifting her  
She closed her eyes, hiding her face in his exposed collarbone, completely surrendered to him. She trusted him immensely and had no reason to worry. Despite those moments spent on the terrace, she was still thirsty for a peaceful sleep, though she was still convinced that the master of eternal sleep would not invite her, irritated her when the mind won over her body, and she had to sit for hours without the hope of recovering. Strength lost the day before.  
She lost her moment of feeling when she fled again to her land of meditation, did not notice when Mike arranged her on a soft satin bedclothes, covering her with soft pads, and she was still bothered by one question that did not give me peace. Why was she again blind enough not to see Clark's games, the fury that had taken hold of her boyfriend was strongly perceived in this cool steel gaze, and she, suppressed by his fury, had forgotten that it was his game. A game in which he wanted to draw her in again.  
She sighed deeply, she had had enough of thinking about the next intrigues of her ex-boyfriend, it was becoming cumbersome. She wanted to live like before, when she appeared in her life, stabilized with a circle of friends around and the one she secretly loved. The time has come for drastic changes. She gladly clung to the musician who lay comfortably on the edge of the pillow, wanting to hug her again. She surrendered to the subtle silence that had prevailed around them, which unwittingly allowed her to relax and sail away to the land of her eternal fantasies.


	55. TOM 2 — TAKEN : 11 — THE PALETTE OF LOVE COLORS

She rolled her fingers between the next sealed letter, which seemed inconspicuous, hidden in the corner of the correspondence, the name of her addressee destroyed this monotony of the gray envelope, the texture of which made her sick. She hated such colors, even though she was an artist and her eye should enjoy any color, it did not work that way. Artists are characterized by the fact that after many years of learning, they have developed their own taste and even such a simple matter as the choice of colors was one of the factors that shaped their style later. At first she did not understand it when she entered the world of drawing or the first sketches, everything seemed so strange to her, she was hardly experienced when she grabbed the pencil for the first time, learning from the basics of sketches, starting with such boring tasks as drawing shapes or looking at in fact, it can discourage, but she was self-confident when she crossed the threshold of the painting course. The teacher repeatedly told her that she was one of the most motivated people in her entire group. Although she did not like to be praised, she did not despise the praise of an experienced professor who introduced her into the world of art and now several years after the events she could say she was satisfied with her work, although she would still live to paint better and better.  
Michael's little help was invaluable to her, she remembered those moments well when they sat in her room, and he explained to her what she was doing, whether it was watercolor or painting made from colorful stores, which she had the most trouble with. It still amazed her that she had so much patience with her, when she was trying to paint something with paint, she wanted to throw it in the corner and never come back, the only thing she wanted was to return to her favorite colored pencils. She was very grateful to him that he was stubborn enough to mobilize her and urge her to practice in the techniques that caused her trouble. When she looked at it from the perspective of time, she could boldly say that she was proud of successive paintings with markers, it was bold that the technique of painting with markers made her great pleasure and used it more and more often. It happened that a few people who ordered her work, asked for such drawings, would refuse, if not for the previous classes that Shinoda gave her. She removed from the inside a folded piece of paper, which contained thanks from satisfied customers for providing them with paintings. She spent more than two days on delivering mailings, which made her bored and tired, but when she read back messages, she was glad that they were happy and did not spare any claims, which she no doubt feared when she put on postage stamps for cardboard, where the ordered paintings were hidden. She spent the last time sketching for her own pleasure and working on her paintings. She had an extremely long time for it when she was grounded for more than four weeks. She was no longer angry at her every time she thought about it. She accepted her fate that she must survive it, but the news from the morning was the most annoying when the Commissioner responsible for her application appeared on the doorstep.  
Time spent in the hospital allowed her to slow down a little, calm down which may seem strange in such a place, but she finally wanted to calm down. Give yourself a hold, and the daily routine of the day or the duties she has recently taken over did not allow her to hide in the comfort of her home kingdom, letting herself think about it.  
Recent events made her feel like an old girl from Phoenix who was afraid of breaking up with her overbearing, naive boy who blindly believed in every word of her, like someone hypnotized her and forced her to absorb everything like a stupid cloth. She needed a shock and further quarrels with Tony to realize that her friend the only thing he wanted was her good and all her attempts to reason her were not as unfounded as she had first thought.  
She downplayed all the premises that sent her, put them off to the back of an event from a few months ago, when for the first time he went to such a trivial way that he would be imperturbable to approach her on a busy road, giving himself the incredible permission to use it almost after the dingy dumpster. She winced with distaste at the mere mention. She did not like to come back to it, the last thing she wished was falling into deep menachola, trying to close herself again from the world around her. She did not realize then that she should report attempts to intimidate with appropriate service. However, what was she doing? She ignored all threatening letters, excessive text messages or endless calls. She could only now congratulate her own unconsciousness and not to look at the matter sensibly. He achieved his goal in a way, destroyed it, compromised his privacy, and breached his privacy. He beat her, he would stumble into stabbing, but he was pulled away from her in time, for which she thanked Mike to this day. However, he did not share her joy, he thought that he should react in time, what did not lead to her state. But she did not feel regret for him, how bold she would do it. He saved her! She was grateful to his own life.  
She did not remember anything, however, until her consciousness returned. She was torn out of her deep sleep, when a small team of doctors who had taken up her surgery found that her body had regenerated enough and the number of red blood cells had returned to normal. She remembered those moments well, she could not forget what she felt then. Troubled, still distracted with the loss of memory. Listening to the stories of the boys with a wounded heart when they mentioned her that she did not even remember her brother. Amnesia turned out to be short-lived, which greatly pleased her relatives and, in particular, Michael, badly accepted the diagnosis of the professor who led it.  
Police officers appeared immediately after the news of the patient's awakening. The conversation was difficult for her when she had to re-tell what had happened then, but the presence of her two closest men meant that after so many years of constant anxiety she felt really happy when she allowed herself to give her ex-partner justice. She hoped that her nightmare would end, but how could she be hoping that anything like that would happen. Kent was cunning like a lion, he could hide in the shade of the bushes, and when he decided that the time was right for him to jump on her like his own victim. He could mask himself, which did not surprise her when she learned that he was denying all the charges that had been left to him, even the testimony of her boyfriend, who was an eye-catching world, did not convince him that he would soon be in prison. Fate, however, decided to play with her, he wanted her to be his mascot again. He scoffed at her in the most cruel way he found. She could hear his perfidious laughter behind her back, wincing when he filthy followed her, like a shadow shouting that she was again deceived, which irritated her extremely.  
The amazement was strange to her when she heard the explanations of the policeman assigned to her, who appeared on the doorstep today with a rather surprising message. They released him! They released her long-time persecutor. She was never as angry as he was in the early morning, Chester, although he had the pleasure of knowing her many tantrums, today he did not hide his surprise when she fell into a real rage, sparing no vulgarisms, trying to control her temperament, making her scream even more nobody could understand her attack of sudden fury, they had no idea that this boy would lead to something more serious, and then it would be too late.  
It was hard for her to convince the musician to come to the studio, he was afraid she might do something and worse, but she assured him that she could be quiet about her when she sat back in the living room, having no idea how to use it, moments , which unfortunately had to spend with a stiff limb, and the lack of rapid movement meant that the only thing she could sit on next reading, in which she liked to read or take a sketchbook and paddle with pencils or pencils creating another small masterpieces. She used it effectively. Absorbed in her penchant for drawing, she recently made a few works and a few smaller sketches that were hidden in the folders hidden in her desk. The sketchpad had been associated with her for many years, but in the last days he became even closer to her. She practically did not part with him when she spent those lonely few hours at home. The bitchies accompanying her bravely kept her company when her brother and boy were sitting in the studio, working on the next soundtracks, or refining the demos they had already created. She did not ask them about the details of the production of the next album, but she was aware of the stage of the work. She was not particularly interested in her, but she also did not want to spoil her fun. She still belonged to the group of their faithful listeners, so she did not want to have any forums just because she was closely associated with the members of the band. They respected her request and did not discuss it with her about the upcoming production.  
She shuddered slightly when one of the parcels hit her. She looked down to see a fairly large cardboard box addressed directly to her. She took a closer look at the package, then a good friend of her company, who produces good quality stationery, threw herself in her eyes. She has not complained about her collection of artistic accessories so far, even she was slightly surprised when she threw them out of drawers or cabinets wanting to make order with them, and her eyes showed a room covered with her materials. She did not think that she had collected so many products over the past few months, people with the same love need many years to collect the collection she had. She did not count as much, she had palettes with her beloved pencils, there were plenty of sets here that were considered quite expensive on the market. Earlier, she could not afford even one pack of such colored pencils, and now she did not count them. She could boldly conclude that, if she counted, the collected items gathered a fortune. However, her boyfriend, who sometimes brought something to her when he was in a shop again, had a big impact on the collection of plastic materials. She joked with him not once that she behaves like a shopping woman. He, however, claimed that a pencil or a draft would have a big impact on our work and should not be saved on cheaper alternatives, because it would affect our image or drawing. She could only admit her right now, when she noticed the differences in the change of products, and she could use the skills she had acquired and be satisfied with the care for detail or aesthetics she valued.  
Spent, however, over the orders, made her home assortment slightly finished and had to invest in newer ones. When she put more items into the online basket, the only thing she wanted to do was forget about the amount she spent. She may have paid for her savings, which has tarnished her personal budget, but she preferred to apply to Michael's advice about the quality of a sketchbook or marker, rather than to think how to pay for it all.  
However, when this morning Chester brought two bundles of parcels or letters, she was slightly shocked by its quantity, because she was quite convinced that there should not be so much of them. She could only tear out the packages and see what was going on.  
She grabbed the scissors lying nearby. She applied them to the sealed folds in the carton, passing them with sharp edges on the foil and glue. She did not hide her joy when she looked inside the package. I do not think there is a person who does not like to open their packages, and she felt double satisfaction, because she will be able to use them. She removed several drafts and blocks from the inside. She took the first of them in her hands, looking at their weight and quality of workmanship. She did not have any contraindications, but the best test would be to do some drawing.  
Digging through the thicket of ordered parcels made her lose her enthusiasm when she rip off the parcel sent, which, as it turned out, was a gift from a company that really wanted her to test their product, there were a few requests that made her stupid. She did not belong to media people, she did not even want to be a public figure, which made her collide with her second account on MySpace, where she had many thousands of followers. The account was created after the persuasion of friends who recommended her to show her work on the Internet. She was skeptical about this proposal, but the girls managed to convince her that she should not hide everything in the proverbial drawer in her darkness, and the world would not see any really nice sketches. Irritated and somewhat tired of their urgings, she created this profile by uploading one of her works. She remembered it well. It was a specific drawing, based mainly on flaming hair and facial features. The background did not matter at that time, because the image of the figure itself created it. The picture belonged to one of her favorite works and she did not intend to hide it. Spent a few minutes in the network meant that she came to her likes and appeared on the watch breasts. She did not even notice, and her account was overwhelming at an alarming rate. To protect her privacy, she was not signed by her real name. It happened that in many forms she had little trouble, when people tried to find some ties between her and Chester, she wanted to hide as long as possible, except that she was the sister of a well-known vocalist. Moving to lies turned out to be the best solution. Yes, she did not tolerate such behavior, but she did it in a just cause. When she least expected it, she became a public figure when a few thousand supporters of her art appeared on her account.  
She threw the contents of the last dull envelope onto her thighs, expecting another set to be painted, but these were no plastic articles that had accumulated quite a lot, left on one of the edges of the couch. She grabbed a bundled piece of paper between her fingers, hidden in a dark folder. She opened the first page, reading the title of the book, as she had. She did not understand anything at all when she browsed through the pages, she did not even know how to include an article, a work or a fragment of some novel. Then an envelope popped into her eyes that slipped off her knees. She threw aside the script she read, hoping to find out something from the attached message. She spread the bent note, traced its contents with her eyes. She raised her astonished face as she read that she had been recommended to be a translator of the Spanish language, which made her even more astonished that the publishing house she wrote to her mentioned that she was a known person for her. Perhaps the knowledge of the Argentinian language did not make her difficult, but she did not think that she would ever receive such an offer. She thought that large corporations needed certified people, and despite the advanced level, she did not bother to do a bachelor degree, somehow she did not feel the need. She was learning for her own pleasure, she did not plan to involve the future with it. When she read the last paragraph of the letter, where they submitted the deadline for sending back the translated work, she was slightly upset that if she even agreed, the agency gave her too little time. However, she believed that this period was only a test for her if she could do the job. They may not have imposed their will, but they expressed their deep will that he would grant them this honor. She looked again at the clipped pages she had captured. Looking more closely at the description contained in this passage, she was more and more intrigued by this publication as well as the willingness to test her abilities. She had the last many free moments, so why she had to not do it.  
— You really ordered so much?  
Ripped from the depths of her thoughts, she jerked her head up when her senses were attacked by a familiar voice. She lifted her crystalline gaze, glancing at Bennington standing in the doorway, his slightly astonished expression speaking for herself, which made her laugh. He stood on the platform, looking at two quite large sized boxes filled with unprotected products. She laughed softly, carefully putting away quite a large section of the book she was about to take care of.  
— No — she said, still somewhat amused — Many of these materials belong to me, but other products have been sent to me to test it — she muttered, pointing to one of the containers.  
He stepped carefully down the steps of the living room, paused in the middle, noticing the considerable confusion that prevailed. Despite the small madness it was exceptionally clean. He knew Julie enough to know that she did not like a cluttered surface, even her room had undergone several changes when more artistic articles arrived. The desk, which so far managed to accommodate all pastels or pencils, was no longer enough and was forced to buy another cabinet and slightly modernize the shelf where the teenager held the most needed pens or pencils. He did not think that her penchant for drawing would cost her so much, but he was not surprised. Julia was an ambitious person, he thought that she would manage perfectly well in studies that have recently fallen into oblivion. Recalling the content of their conversation, when she patiently told him that he must give up academic life, he did not understand why he was wasting his skills and did not want to develop them more, he understood it only after her accident when he brought him closer to the history of her former boyfriend, whom he so unsuccessfully he tried to track down. He was sure that he would do anything to help her, let her old enemy stop persecuting her, and she could calmly think about the future. He saw that Julia, despite his assurances, was skeptical, still saying that since she had not managed to discourage her, he was even more so, as if she had already reconciled herself with her fate, the information about her arrest enabled her to obtain long lost faith. Hope that her life may change at last, unfortunately she cruelly miscalculated.  
— You have enough space?  
He moved under the influence of her intense gaze, he saw the gleam of joy hidden in the blue of her eyes, which was so familiar to her when she inconveniently tried to look serious, but suppressed in her laughter spoiled her ranks.  
— I think you will not complain that I bother you anymore — she bit back.  
They spent some good hours arguing when she told her brother early in the morning that she needed to help her with the modernization of her job. She had already prepared the design of an additional shelf with drawers, matching it to the design of the furniture on which she was supposed to hang, showed him at breakfast to the musician who said it was feasible, but he needed to buy some extra items. It was not without a scuffle in the store, where they argued about the wood from which the prop should be made, as the man thought she chose a rather poor quality product, which she did not want to understand, claiming that it would not fit, but she gave convinced him when he said that he would paint her properly. They returned to the apartment an hour later, sitting down to their little task. Julia, who so far did not have access to DIY tools, handed over the execution to her brother. She felt content when she saw her in front of her eyes, a new piece of furniture arose, which probably will find its use, she was careful with every request for help when she had to hold something, however, it was more difficult to find any screw, which enamored Elder Bennington immensely when he received not adequate screw size. Not wanting to dwell on her longer, he sent her home, using Brad, who came to visit them. Sometimes he liked to twist or do something near the house, when he had the free moment, he locked himself in the garage and did something. He could not afford it too often because of his busy schedule in recent weeks.  
He waved his hand dismissively at her, when he heard her last bitter remark. He sighed quietly, leaning against the edge of the sofa on which the teenager was sitting, then in his eyes he threw the folder that rested on her lap. He reached for the scribe, which did not even interest the girl who was browsing one of the new sets of crayons. He focused on the title.  
— Last desires, what is it?  
He flipped through a tense text document, finding a rather spicy thread. He had not heard of this publication yet, although he had little time for books, he had seen the volumes of novels he sought to fathom, but he had asked her to tell him all the events he could not finish reading.  
— I received this excerpt with a request for translation — she said approvingly, closing the lid of colored pencils.  
She turned over her shoulder, staring at the young man, focused on the text. Interested to turn the page of the novel, he did not hide it, he became more and more intrigued, he returned again with a look at the title page, looking at the capital letter on the makeshift cover. She looked at his focused face, always in some way brought her peace. She liked to look when he was lost in thought, it gave her a certain satisfaction, it was the opposite when their conversations turned into small quarrels or not important fights. In spite of their rather turbulent relations, she always valued his opinion, even when she did not fully agree with his opinion, she listened to his advice. He did not help her once, because sometimes he was not aware of it, but she thanked him for every such moment.  
— Will you accept this offer?  
He slipped a tangled bundle of pages into her hands, clenched her long fingers on the dark cover, setting it aside, taking care not to bite the horns unnecessarily. She put the file between the set of bristles, she did not think there would be so many of them. She winced slightly as she lifted herself carefully on her hands. She did not wish for such a situation when she got stuck in one position for many hours without being able to improve herself, maybe she could put one of the pillows under her back, but the numbness of her bandaged limb was most disturbing, which almost drove her crazy. She hated that paralyzing feeling in her foot, and she did not even have the way to go. She believed that the moment when she cursed her ex-boyfriend, for his carelessness and willingness to strike women did not matter, it would not return her lost health, and she could only come to terms with this fact.  
— I am willing to show up in total — she said calmly — I never had the opportunity in practice, tried the skills I acquired on courses or independent lessons — she took the back of the book, lifting it gently — Maybe thanks to that I will test my language in practice.  
She saw his face go through doubt, his brow furrowed, as if her answer did not fully satisfy him. She knew that characteristic facial expression too good when it was not entirely consistent with her opinion, but she did not want to pay attention to it. She did not want to overestimate her acquired abilities, maybe she was modest, but she did not like when someone praised her, whether she exalted acquired talents, she felt really embarrassing, when someone complimented her style or admitted her in her views, she hated it, because she thought that everyone had their own assessment of the situation or place, yes you can remind her a bit, but she did not like it when it was almost identical. The willingness to please her in such a way was out of the question, and if someone thinks that he would get her attention in this way, he was wrong. Once, Chester told her to make her believe in herself, maybe to some extent, but she was still passive when she talked to someone about her grinded predispositions.  
— Knowing your fluency in Latin language, it will not cause you problems and will give you much joy — he said, turning around.  
She watched her slowly, heading for the kitchen, humming a soft melody under her breath, as she had never had to admit to him. She loved every moment when she could talk for a while in Spanish, even if it was just a conversation with Brad, she valued those moments that allowed her to use the language, and let him forget about it in time.  
— You overestimate my brother — she said.  
— Under no circumstances!  
She heard his raised voice echo through the walls of the living room, the sound of his footsteps hit her senses, and she raised her head slightly as they stood on the threshold of the door with two glasses filled with translucent substance, pieces of lemon floating on her.  
— Trying to just make you feel a bit self-confident if you want to achieve something — he would not even let her speak when he saw that he was opening his mouth — We perfectly know that despite your modesty and the girl who does not want to come out before a lot, you want to do something in life, you do not necessarily want your name to be remembered, but you try to prove to others that you are completely different from what you were told until you lived in the orphanage. I think you were not easy then, you could not hide that you were very happy when you left those walls, through your mask of indifference, you drank happiness when you left from there. From the moment you lived with me, you became a completely changed person. Maybe the initial weeks were difficult for you, but after a few days, I noticed differences in your behavior, when you met the rest of the boys — set everything on the table, sat back in the chair, and a gentle smile sneaked on his lips when he felt like on his knee , a white Maltese jumps. A happy bitch, stretched out on his thighs, staring at her dark blinds in her mistress, she also became vigilant as her older companion, when she must, woke up in the night when her owner had another panic attack. There were times when she jumped into her bed when she was alone and tried to wake her up, which looked really cute from the side — Mike became a person with whom he had very strong relationships since then, I am still wondering what has connected you so much but I am very happy about it — he added with a slight reflection, but after a while he continued his monologue — Before you thought you were not worthy of someone's friendship, look now what group of friends you have, trust them immensely, which was a problem for you. Do you remember our conversation when you assured that you would never love anyone?  
— Yes, why are you referring to this? - she muttered somewhat embarrassed, but as if she knew exactly where she was going.  
— Would you be happy in a relationship now? You met a guy for whom love was a sad failure, you were in a similar situation. You did not want to be attracted to anyone, you shouted at me when I suggested that you would find someone in the future. I did not know you more happy and able to distance yourself from everyday problems since you started dating Mike. You have the chance and the possibility of taking a fight, fight for yourself, but you are aware that you have somebody with you, why you should do it and not give up. If it were not for all these strands of events, probably the bastard's threats would destroy your psyche, and he would have a perfect motive to drag you to his side.  
Yes, from the moment she got to the hospital, the team had already learned more about their secret meetings, which did not really surprise them when they had to admit to them that for some time they had stopped being just their two devoted friends. They did not hide their surprise when the group told them that for some time they suspected they were a couple, but they preferred to be more cautious. Sporoned on previous relationships, he prefers to make sure that they have made the right decision and whether their love really is stronger than stupid infatuation. However, they were confident from the moment they joined their December night imprisoned by the passionate rhythms of the Angerine tango, they were tossing it into the act of Night Tango — Mad Manoush.  
— Where do you get it, I'm sure I would do it?  
—I know you, sister. You do not show it, but you are warriors. Soldier of his own existence, but like everyone you must have for whom to take this risk and grab a rifle, if he did not exist in your life, you would give up. You would allow yourself to be dominated by your ex and you would come back to him with your tail curled up, asking for forgiveness, for you would have had enough of this. Why did not you do it?  
— Because I loved someone else — she added with a heart shaking in her chest.  
He did not speak, giving her the chance to realize something. All the weeks she spent under the pressure of constant threats from her former partner were almost a nightmare for her, which she had to face, but she never went to destructive thoughts, she still felt the urge to face him even in the worst of times. She did not understand it at first, why she had so much strength to face him, but now Chester's words struck her with double strength. Earlier years were also her way of wandering through the gravely paths of her own existence, every other person would give up for a long time, but she always had hopes, faith which she thought was lost, because she did not understand her meaning, then she had a small chance that her fate has changed, something will move in its miserable being something that will make it laugh again. She had to wait a long time, but the effect was amazing. She gained a great brother, to whom she owed much, gave her a home which she had dreamed of since childhood, a real refuge where she could hide away from the cruelty of this world, and above all security, the illusion of a peaceful smell of a flat where she is not harmed and the only thing that could have happened to her was that she had to deal with the older man when he tried to get her out of bed, not humanly at an early hour, which she thought was too wound to slip off the soft bedding. But for what she was damn grateful to him for love, brotherly devotion, which she dared not deny.  
Moments, when she fought with her former partner, they were not easy for her, the constant fear that something would do wrong, which would allow him to win or in time failing to notice his loved ones that he acted against her, made her have more strength to to fight with him, but the strongest weapon proved to be feelings. Passion and devotion, which became for her a kind of fuel for further action, to remove him from his life.  
Love was too strong to give up.


	56. TOM 2 — TAKEN : 12 — COME BACK TO ME BABY

She moaned almost frustrated when the subtle singing of the nightingale broke into her sleepy subconscious mind, which gracefully perched on a nearby branch of a spreading palm. He allowed himself to join the music won by the mother of all animals or plants, engaging in the game of notes that resounded in the picturesque gardens of the metropolis residents. A beautiful lady clothed in a floral dress with a wreath of hydrangea in her hair, slowly aroused furry friends dreaming in their hollows. The scent of flowers floating in the air was begging to be transferred to the cool walls of the residential apartments. Petals of colorful rose bushes decomposed to allow themselves to welcome the first glow of a new dawn approaching the city. It seemed that nothing could disturb this designated ritual of these California mornings, as if the residents were just waiting for the alarm clocks on their phones to play the first notes, pulling them out of the world of eternal dreams.  
Nothing is perfect, however, and the nineteen-year-old artist knew this very well. She kept telling me that the world was out of harmony, even mocking it, when under a cloak of starry nights she slept alone in a silent apartment. She no longer worried or grieved when, dreaming in the arms of the king of dreams, her own reason did not allow her to rest after a busy day, again feeding her with bloody visions of a half-naked girl, her painful scream crushed the wall built a few months ago, now all that was left of it was rubble . Dirty dirty cobblestone pavement. He mocked her as he slowly recalled the memories of the destroyed fort, the echo of crazy laughter deafening her senses, and she with tears in her eyes looked at the rolling teenager who had no dreams or aspirations. Absorbed by the treacherous teachings, she no longer saw the chance for her further existence. She was intoxicated with her own self-destruction, she couldn't see the proverbial light that would ignite the darkness that surrounded her. She stopped hoping, that stupid faith that anything would come out in her life. She surrendered like a convict goes to death. She suffered her own destruction, staring passionately at the wounded arm with syringes, a hand that trembled as she grasped the hands of an old diskmen. The device in which the only plate was hidden. The album, which in time became her one treasure. A precious stone in plastic that was shabby years ago, whose glow has long been forgotten.  
She thought earlier that she could handle these demons. She went through many stages, when she forced herself to act, there were times when she doubted, gave up. She did not want to take up this further fight, defending herself ceased to matter to her when she could not see the crumb of good in all this battle. The proverbial light she had asked for. She remained indifferent to it now, nothing mattered but the desire to choke out a bit of motivation to give her a chance to survive the upcoming hours. There seemed to be nothing missing at the moment, and the problems she was suffering from were forgotten, but she did not want to live in the illusion she created. Paintings of your own imagination where on their white canvas a colorful sketch is painted, free from harsh shadows or misunderstandings. She could distinguish life from the warmth of dreams. She always lived in reality, it was her real existence. A girl tormenting nightmares with a swamp of memories on her shoulders. Hidden in an eternal secret that she didn't let anyone reach.  
Almost despairingly painted on her pale face, she caught a scrap of soft material between her slim fingers, her almost shiny chocolate color enveloping her half-naked body, hidden under the purest satin fabric. The soft linen texture gave her a shiver that wrapped her bare shoulders. She moved her slowly to her, feeling the velvet warming her cheeks enveloped in a delicate breeze. A murmur of satisfaction spread across the bedroom of the teenage painter as she cuddled her face in the fluff of one of the multi-colored pillows that almost suppressed the purring of the dreaming girl. It seemed that nothing could spoil this harmony, destroy that silence that floated in the air, as if an invisible soldier stood guarding his lady's rest, only wanting to take away the hardships of her last nights that were not so kind to her. She fought stubbornly for even a little respite, nights without nightmares, or the early morning hours in which she waited until in the California sky, the first sheaves of a shining ball creeping, letting her go out onto the balcony, staring at the sun descending over the horizon.  
However, everything was destroyed when the first glow appeared on the pale gray band, the luna shining above the horizon. She narrowed her eyes dissatisfied, bringing the coolness of the soft fabric to her, with a hint of a hint of faith that she could fall asleep those few hours. Hope, however, is the mother of stupid people blinded by the feeling of happiness, contentment or love of feelings that were so dear to her, now all that is left is their ruins. Gunpowder that fell on enemy territory.  
She turned slowly to the side, feeling the chill under her fingertips that enveloped the dark satin fabric, all she wanted now was to avoid the fireball rising on the horizon, which was not relentlessly bursting through the slightly ajar balcony window. Holding her hands still clenched on the edge of the soft sheets, she covered her to the top of her head. A murmur of discontent flashed through her slightly parted lips. She hated such mornings, she never liked getting up so early, but the last months did not allow her to. She asked herself more than once to stop living the past and start drawing handfuls of life, and yes, but how long she could enjoy it with the sad awareness that she would be stolen from her at any moment. The only thing she asked for was a few moments of respite away from the hustle and bustle of the world around her. She wanted a peace that wasn't given to her.  
She screamed, almost annoyed when a hole burned in her mind, a huge abyss of dislike as the bedrooms ripped the sound of an incoming call. In an instant, she wanted to find a ringing device that, with pure delight, destroyed her dreams, in which she could dream for the next hour away from the bustling metropolis. She spared no calumny for a person who in such a brutal way wanted to get her out of her sad melancholy. She should enjoy it, but she couldn't find any positive aspects in it.  
She blindly felt for a white smartphone abandoned under a pile of pillows, which stubbornly did not let itself be forgotten. She stopped the urge to throw him into the corner of her little kingdom, glanced at the caller's initials with a murmur of frustration. She was slightly surprised by the photograph of her friend, which was assigned to her number. Alex did not like calling at such an early time, you can say that she was a lazy type greater than her, she did not tell her once how her mother tried to snatch her from the arms of your own dreams on Sunday afternoon, and she discouraged spending this late morning with her family who she came to visit, threw out her parent, locked herself in the room, returning to her favorite occupation during the free days. However, she could not be accused of doing nothing. The young Withe's ambitions meant that she was in the process of writing a continuation of her author's novel, which to the general surprise sold in huge copies, allowing the young writer to gain recognition among a wider audience. She also reached for her friend's book, although she did not belong to the genre that prefers or delves more, she was interested in this edition. The world of literary fantasy was something excellent for Aleksandra, she was able to find her way from creating the main character to creating a completely new world. Artistry in various forms can be understood, everyone has a different view on the surrounding universe from which he draws inspiration. She was not an exception, she did not once hear from friends questions or doubts about her art, but no one criticized herself, and even if it happened, it was done in a reasonable way so as not to offend the other person, and at the same time indicate what not they enjoyed their work.  
Sighing quietly, she moved her finger to the green receiver, putting the device to her ear:  
— Hi sweetie, did I wake you up? — She said cheerfully, and she could sense that her friend wanted to pull her into something.  
From the time when Marinette and Selena forced to move to another continent, Aleksandra became the initiator of all girlish meetings. She had absolutely no head for it, because of the problems she was struggling with, sometimes she forgot about herself, and how she was to stand out when it comes to her friends. She did not want to disappoint them, she enjoyed every trip with them to the city or cafes.  
— I haven't really slept anymore — she confessed, floating gently on her hands.  
She leaned on the fluff of pillows scattered on the headless bed, grabbing the tip of the red petticoat. She slipped it carefully over her shoulders, slowly placing the phone in her other hand.  
— Something happened? — She asked, discarding the material glistening in the light of the sun.  
— I'm going to the hairdresser with Emily? Are you going with us?  
She stopped at the first step, thinking about her friend's proposal. It was not a bad proposition, it filled her with indefinite joy. Yes, she may have loved the color of her hair by nature, but she was slowly starting to bore her, more and more often she was thinking about changing something in her appearance. She was known to love dyeing her hair, and the strands of her dark curls had already turned a lot of color, Chester laughed more than once that she had changed shades more often than he did. She had to agree with him then, but she liked this form of self-expression. She hadn't been crazy about herself in earlier years, she thought she wasn't doing it well, but since she'd decided to brighten her auburn hair, she had always wanted a new change. She needed a refresh!  
— Gladly — she said, glancing at the watch on the nearby cabinet.  
She knew that she did not yet have enough time before the meeting arranged today. Nobody decided to talk about the appointment. She was encouraged to do so many times, but she still refused, explaining that she would manage, unfortunately she was increasingly convinced that she was failing, she lost again over her life, which slipped between her fingers, and she was afraid to approach the edge of the cliff to capture in arms fleeing her own existence with the wind. She had to find her again, find the sense of her own existence. She had great hope that she would finally find out where her problem was, of the constant nightmares that kept her awake at night, why such cruel memories affect her mind.  
She listened to the further statement of her best friend, who gave her the address of the salon, which, to her general surprise, was a place she often visited. Ensuring that he would appear in an hour, she pushed the bright wing of her bedroom. A blissful silence swept over her, which had recently become a nuisance to her. Yes, she may have liked spending a few hours alone, but the last days were a nightmare she wanted to wake up from. She was left alone again, like a scared seventeen-year-old who was afraid to return to her home, she was so afraid of her that she was stuck in the abandoned forts in the suburbs, only hoping that nobody would find her there.  
It took only a few days for the old lenas to return and despite the fact that her behavior was not at all right, she led to this in part. She couldn't blame Bennington, he wasn't happy about the trip to the south of the country, where concerts of his side music group were to take place, he left her again. He hoped he would spend this time with a friend, but the differences of opinion that shared her with Mike meant that their relationship had been going through difficult times for almost a week.  
She hurried across the bright dance floor, opening the bathroom door wider. She sighed quietly, turning the key in the lock. She wasn't forced to lock herself in the room, but she was still afraid. She stood bare feet on the rug in front of the sink, looking down at her tired face.  
The gleam of her bright eyes escaped the moment she watched the dark oak wing close behind her and despair envelops her. The bitterness overwhelmed her body, it drifted over him, not letting her forget about herself. She couldn't get rid of those memories, which moment she was so afraid of when she and Shinoda were different. Until now she thought that nothing could destroy their joint attachment since she met him, they never argued with each other, they did not even exchange loud comments. They were always unanimous, she had not once heard from friends that it was simply impossible, that nothing happened between them that could destroy the friendship created by so many months, and yet this moment appeared earlier than she thought.  
She put her hands on the edge of the sink, gently lowering her head, it seemed that no one could see the salty drops of water, which lonelied on the bridesmaids he had designated. Although she belonged to people with a strong personality, and sadness rarely turned into tears streaming down her cheeks, she couldn't stand it. Everything cumulated on her, as if suddenly the weight of all her fears fell on her sore shoulders. There was nothing she wanted then to stop this nasty conversation, a discussion that turned into a quarrel. She wasn't aware when the last words left their mouths, instead of a tender farewell, they gave themselves a volley of insults. It destroyed her when she was forced to watch her leave, cursing him again that evening. She did not know where it began, she could not even remember the motives that guided them, when they were full of indignation staring into each other's eyes, and she heard reproaches from him that she would never have expected.  
She straightened up and with a heart beating in her chest glanced anxiously at the reflection of the crooked mirror. Terrified, she looked into the eyes and seemed to be a happy girl for whom there was nothing like trouble. Everything, however, was a cover, created years ago a mask of indifference and insults to the world. In an instant she wanted to slap herself. Her life has never been the same since crossing the borders of sunny California, so many times she scolded herself, begging her to push everything that destroyed her and what she was doing to her further distance. She was getting lost in it. She should follow the advice of her friends and report to the therapist earlier, she was passive to these suggestions, sometimes she did not want to listen to them, she threw everyone out so that she would not suddenly, she did not understand that they were doing it for her good. She had to cross another silted river to understand her own behavior. Yes, pride was important, but sometimes it should be humble. However, it filled her with fear, anxiety that devastated her.  
She started slightly scared, the notes of a calm melody enveloped her troubled thoughts. Reluctantly, she glanced at the flickering display, squeezed her hands tighter at the edge of the bright porcelain. His words were still painfully reflected in her mind, a bitter taste of sweet expression. She was still wondering how ordinary conversation, the senseless discussion that had been so pointless to her in recent days could have divided them. It had no sense or content, but it made her dare not talk to him. Take the phone and talk to him. Getting into such a senseless conflict was really a pity for them. Promises ceased to matter in a moment, and everything was suppressed by the cruelty that evening. She reached for the device still ringing, hesitated for a moment or not to end this dispute now, but her instincts had other plans for her. She swiped the screen to end the call. The time has not come yet. Maybe she was acting like a stupid teenager who couldn't swallow her own failure, blaming her partner. Don't take the courage to swallow your own pride. She was well aware that she was also responsible for their last meeting, she could not admit her mistake. She went so far as to hurt him, instead of fixing it, she got into the damn puddle of her own irresponsible decisions.  
She moved the screen to the next tab filled with applications, looking for the site she was interested in. She found her after a long search. She looked at the logo, sighing quietly. She looked at her playlists to see one of the song tracks she had often listened to recently. She turned it on, listening to the first bars of Almost Here, an Iraqi singer. She had not listened often to the sharp sound of her beloved bands over the past few weeks, it was not surprising, sometimes she had moments when she wanted to take a break from these sounds and return to them with pleasure. She did not abandon the shown sounds of an electric guitar on the sad song of radio artists, who were often associated with a single, which caused confusion among listeners, to disappear without news after the season. Returns were few and rare, which is why she appreciated the band that do not stand out in the fame of modern media.  
She slowly slid off the shoulders of her nightgown. Wrapped in the softness of satin, she was suddenly deprived of it when the T-shirt fell at her feet, shuddered from the cold, but she did not care, lifting her favorite pajamas off the ground. Throwing into a basket hidden in one of the cupboards, she hummed melodies softly, wanting to take her thoughts away from the depressing to mention.  
An almost icy water stream enveloped her shoulders as she slammed the trained shower door behind her. She felt like a cold bath washing away her hardships last night, which again was not so good for her. Leaning against one of the walls, a picture stood before her eyes that she now wanted to avoid. She knew that he could not get rid of it, but she finally had to deal with it.  
She didn't know how long she spent those lovely moments under almost icy drops of water. The shower became her blessing after hard hours in the arms of the king of dreams, she did not want anything then to enjoy the little luxury she gave herself, it allowed her to relax and somehow relax before the challenges ahead.  
She grabbed the edge of the soft towel, wrapping itself in its softness, still concealing its wet body. She didn't bother too long looking for the dryer. She stared at herself, and strands of her hair flew into space as a warm wave drained them of excess water still flowing. She looked down suddenly, wanting to make sure what time it was, then she saw a message from Michael on the display. Aversion to him still stuck in her, but she was curious about the content he had sent her. She put the working device to the edge of the cabinet, grabbing the phone on the stand. She woke him up by entering the notification. She read intently the string of words displayed in their private conversation to activate the electronic keyboard after a moment. She was aware that Michael was a stubborn person, but she did not think that he would capitulate so quickly and would want to meet. He did not often give in to someone, he had no idea what the pressure of the environment meant, the more surprised by his request that they see each other. She probably would not agree and continue to insist, but because of all the negative feelings that guided her, she dreamed of ending this dispute, to reconcile with him. She wasn't going to lie, reinforce herself in a misconception. She missed him and was beginning to miss him. She pressed the green button, placing the white smartphone on the bright top. She would have been stupid if she had not agreed to the meeting, if there was a chance to stave off the conflict he had divided them, why she had not to use it.  
She took it again, turned it on again, going back to drying one of the hair strands. Bored, she stared at her reflection, somehow she was glad that she was completely alone on those few days, at the same time she was disgusted. She was used to Chester's company, maybe irritating her sometimes and causing her a real fury, but she couldn't imagine the moments spent without him now. She wasn't going to neglect their relationship just because she was dating his best friend. The singer has always been important to her, if not for his helping hand, I would still be in this damn mess of my own wrongs.  
She took the device still playing from the shelf, then overcame the resistance of the white wing. She stood in the sun-drenched corridor, enjoying the blissful calm that prevailed in the apartment's walls. She couldn't, however, enjoy this calmness. She had an appointment and in her opinion one should not be late. It was not in her nature. Climbing the steps of her kingdom, she hid behind the slightly ajar entrance to the wardrobe. The glow of the LEDs lit up the room hidden in the dark. She grabbed a nearby jacket, the cut was not too complicated, the simple seam was no different from elegant but sporty clothes, she thought for a moment about the shirt she could wear. She took off a white top and matching jeans shorts from one of the shelves. Maybe she had to dress properly to meet the psychologist, but she did not want to overdo it, comfort was all that mattered to her. She hurriedly washed as time began to urge her. She hastily slipped the dark, built-in heels over her feet, tucked her purse into her purse, and a pair of sunglasses that were the order of the day in the sunny city of angels.  
The sound of her heels carried around the apartment, which was plunged in a blissful peace, her two pets still sleeping on the couches placed under one of the walls of the living room as if the sudden noise could not bring them to the real world. She stopped at the kitchen counter. She needed a bit of caffeine, she shouldn't consume it so often, but it was her rescue after the early night. By setting the espresso machine, she tried to find her favorite thermal mug. Irritated to the limit, she opened the last of the drawers, hoping to find a vessel there. She wasn't wrong. However, she couldn't remember putting her there, she didn't have time to dwell on it. She put it under one of the nozzles, allowing the dark brown substance to flow. Definitely life does not hurry her. She took out a mug filled with aromatic drink, screwing the lid on it, not forgetting about her favorite syrup.  
Finding the keys to the car turned out to be easier than searching the purse in search of a similar set that allowed to close the house. She ran out of the apartment, turning the key in the lock. She went to one of the vehicles, opening it. She threw her things into a nearby chair, slipping the key into the ignition. She took a warm sip of coffee, carefully placing the cup back into place. She did not bother changing shoes, which she had already changed.  
She left the driveway with a quiet squeal of tires, breaking through the crowded streets of the city, cursed herself that she had not left earlier when she came across a fairly powerful traffic jam. She was not surprised, this city was famous for the continuous queues of cars standing or moving at a fairly slow pace in the streets of the metropolis. Muffling quietly, she entered one of the side streets.  
She struggled to find a free parking space, but finally caught the chance that the earlier driver had left the designated zone, which gave her an amazing opportunity. Putting out the car engine, she quickly changed shoes, putting the keys and the phone in her purse.  
She stood in front of the entrance to the building, tapping a message to her friend, asking where they were, did not wait long for an answer that came almost a moment, she was not even able to look at her when her friends appeared around the corner in the company of two girls. She frowned at the companions of Emily and Alexandra. She had never met them before, but the discussion between them confirmed her belief that they were on very close terms.  
— Hi sunshine — Aleksandra kissed her on the cheek, with satisfaction on her face — I am glad that you managed to snatch — she added with laughter noticing the punishing look of her friend.  
— Are you suggesting something?  
She was surprised to say Withe, they haven't met so often lately, but it was largely caused by the studies she had begun with her, every time she wanted to choose somewhere with them, they sold her explaining that they have a lot of science, but she didn't she was guilty. There were days when she refused to play with them, because she was often with Shinoda in those moments. She didn't have the heart to leave him to go to a party.  
— Remember every conversation we had when we suggested you leave, you were always with Mike. I'm starting to miss our fives together.  
— You are also not without fault my dear — she replied calmly — What do I hear when I call you to get you somewhere "sorry old, but we have a test we have to learn — she replied with a sneer.  
— Let's go to this salon better — Emily, who sensed the tension in the air, threw her hands over her best friends' shoulders.  
She grabbed them by the shoulders, pulled them to a nearby door. The signboard hanging over their heads did not glow with a bright led light. She screamed over her shoulder to her new friends to follow her, she had to deal with the bantering girls herself. Entering, they were attacked by a wave of conversations between employees and clients who were discussing insignificant topics.  
She got out of her friend's tight grip, for a moment she had the impression that she was choking her, she managed to free her shoulder from her collarbone, sometimes amazing how much this girl had strength, but sometimes appearances are deceiving, and Emily was pure proof of that. She did not get into another dispute with the blondes, she glanced over her shoulder, looking at the small brunette standing behind the counter.  
— Hi Clara — she greeted her cheerfully.  
She watched contentedly as a twenty-year-old girl beamed at her sight, overcome the distance between them, reached out for her hand which she accepted, glanced over her shoulder young Bennington, noticing a group of chatting friends.  
— I understand you brought a friend? — She asked.  
She followed her gaze with her blue irises to get them stuck in overjoyed Emily, who was explaining something to her friend. She turned back to the young woman.  
— They were actually the initiator of the trip — she explained, but there was a slight amusement in her voice.  
— What can I do for you?  
She could only listen to the decision the girls made about changing the hairstyle. It amazed her that none of them had gone too crazy, asking only to cut their hair or lighten it. She herself wasn't sure if she really wanted to change something, despite her morning thoughts, now doubts arose. Sitting in the waiting room, however, she was browsing the folder with the salon's suggestions, and she liked the particular shade. She looked at the model with fairly colorful strands which invariably intrigued her. For a long time she was looking for something new, some combination of ombre a few shades to break through the monotony of one color. She grabbed the paper between her hands, rising from a comfortable leather armchair, found Clara, whom she most trusted about any changes. She stopped at a stand full of hair care products and the necessary equipment.  
— Something happened to Julia? — She asked, seeing one of her favorite clients with their company catalog in her hands.  
She offered her a newspaper with an open page, where there was a photograph of the color combination he was interested in. The hairdresser looked at the picture for a long time, before she could ask about the possibility of making changes, she warned her.  
— I'm done with your friend and he'll dye your hair.  
— Thank you Clara.  
She walked away hastily, in the background she heard the question of Emily, who, intrigued by the new idea of her best friend, asked the woman why she had so much confidence in her. She couldn't hear the response of the woman who probably explained her young artist's taste. Since she came to this plant and decided to use her services, she has been very pleased, she took advantage of the opportunities at the next meeting, when the young hairdresser was free and again satisfied with her services she tried to come to her. The only time she agreed to a man who was to embellish her hair, let her down completely, from that moment she was dating a free woman with a young woman.


	57. TOM 2 — TAKEN : 13 — THROUGH PASSION TO THE END OF THE STARS

She stopped the vehicle at one of the last abandoned parking spaces. The view in front of her of one of the newly built office buildings, whose glass coating covered most of the constructions, the metal finishes of the panels supported, it seemed fragile glass. She leaned with a quiet sigh on the headboard of the driver's leather seat, staring at the skyscraper looming in front of her, and sudden doubts came to her. The fears that drove her were growing stronger, and she couldn't get rid of them, one thought did not leave her alone. Is he really doing the right thing about this visit? She knew that somehow it would ease her subcutaneous pain, but she was full of doubts whether she should confide in a stranger with her problems, or should not keep the old appearances of an eternally satisfied girl, for whom trouble is a relative concept, but under the mask of a smiling student lies an injured child with a stigma of the past, who must wield on his shoulders, whose weight was sometimes too strong to bear.  
She sighed softly a little disappointed in her attitude. She was about to start her adventure again, and not wade into something that depresses her. Stop creating black scenarios where she loved to swim, glanced at the slightly open clutch bag abandoned in the next seat. A small cardboard slipped out behind the lock and the name of the clinic she stood in front of her eyes. She reached for her, grabbing her between her fingers. She turned slowly to the other side, where the name of the specialist she was heading to appeared. She did it with her relatives in mind and, above all, about herself. Finally she wanted to find out where the bottom of her night torture lay, she had enough, she was still struggling with these sleepy omens, that she lived in blissful ignorance when another panic attack struck her. At the time, she wasn't fully aware of what she was doing or doing, and that scared her the most, she was afraid that she would eventually lead to the tragedy, that she would hurt not so much herself, but those she cared about. The most anxious for her was that under the influence of the moment she would grab something sharp and not look at what she was doing and throw at her nearest person, she reacted anxiously to it the most, however, at those moments when she regained her sobriety after her anxiety and often sat snuggled in shoulders brother or beloved. She hated living with the knowledge that they saw her in such a deplorable condition, when she lived in an orphanage it was not too much trouble, because no one cares that one of the foster children suffers from torture under the cover of night. Come on, she never remembers what she was doing, one of her assaults was quickly remembered by the caretakers and the director, especially Lisa, with whom she shared the room, the only time her roommate was really scared of her. However, she had a black hole, a void in her mind, and no awareness of what she could lead to. The next morning she woke up in solitary confinement in the presence of Anthony, who was the only one who stayed with her, then from his words she concluded that she had injured her unbearable friend with shards of glass from a broken frame, she literally threw herself at her, only her loud calls lured teachers who they had a night shift. They tried to stop her, but they also did not escape her anger, from what she managed to understand, she dug a shard of glass into the man's hand, and his partner black eye. She managed to force her overwhelmingly, and a scared fifteen-year-old begged her teachers to move her to a separate bedroom. Although their conflict lasted for many years, that evening it intensified, and Lisa had already stopped hiding so much with hatred against other foster children and guardians. They blamed her for the damage she caused, and she felt stupid because she didn't even know what they were talking about. This one time she had such a strong attack, although each of them was exhausting for her, that day she recovered for a long time, however, instead of letting her rest in peace, she was assigned to help the cooks, and she had the impression that they were doing it with revenge. She had long lost respect for these people, but now she despised them for the things she had no control over, she was punished with.  
She slipped the note into a light purse, closing the zipper. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, she opened the front door, carefully looking around if she would forget anything. Confident, she left the vehicle, closing the door with a soft click. Pressing one of the buttons on the small remote control, she heard a quiet beep, which convinced her that the vehicle was closed. She threw a bunch of keys in front of the delicate crack in the clutch and confidently stepped on the nearby pavement. Passing through the glass passage, she entered the thresholds of a cool room, and its decor did not attract much attention, it was not unusual, which could be of interest. The white-painted walls, they had several tasteful paintings on them, one could get the impression that they were not in a therapeutic clinic. Despite the harshness of the interior, it seemed cozy. She stood behind an elderly woman standing by the dark counter, eagerly waiting for her turn. She did not listen to her conversation with the receptionist, who was writing something on the white keyboard of the desktop computer, muttering something under her breath. She did not have to wait long for the woman to finish the conversation, watched out of the corner of her eye as she sits down next to the young girl, but she could not look closer at the teenager. She moved a few steps, resting her hands on the dark mahogany of the desk.  
— How can I help you?  
— Hello, I have an appointment today with psychologist Camila Acosta.  
She surreptitiously looked at the note in her hand, even though she had read the inscriptions on the scrap of paper a moment ago, she couldn't quite remember the name of the doctor she had made an appointment with. She watched closely like an assistant, peering into a leather-bound calendar that had so much free space to write down the hours and surnames of outpatient patients.  
— Can I have your name please?  
— Julia Bennington — she said without thinking, adjusting the shoulder strap that slid from her shoulder.  
— Yes, twelve o'clock, office number three — said the secretary, rising from above the diary — Please sit down and wait a moment.  
She thanked her quietly, moving away slowly but surely from the counter. She took a few steps to stand in the small niche of the building, where a small waiting room was set up. Tastefully fitted black leather sofas, stood on opposite sides, a dark, quite low table stood between the seating area. She noticed several outdated scientific magazines and the color press, which patients could read or review while waiting. She sat on the empty couch, glanced at the woman who was explaining something to the young girl. The attitude and appearance of a high school student could give someone a thrill of fear, and she had the impression that she was looking at her mirror image from younger years. The pitch-black hair lived its own life, seemed to be even more scared, and the intervention of the comb was not needed, the damn strong dark makeup under the eyes of a fifteen-year-old raised memories of her rebellion, but the most noticeable was black leather clothes that had studs sewn in instead of decorations. When she looked at this teenager, she could not believe that she had undergone such a huge change in her life, she seemed to be like her, reluctant to live, rules that did not matter to her completely or respect for her loved ones. Going through her own rebellion where she thought that no one would understand her, and yet when she could look at her twin version of herself, she saw that she had made a lot of changes in such a short time, but not enough to be completely satisfied with them, but it was time to finally talk to the past and what bothered her.  
She snuggled into the soft fabric of the seat, placing the purse on her thighs, carefully opened it, taking out the vibrating phone every moment. Unlocking the device, looking at the mass of missed messages and the notifications sent to her bar, sighing quietly, she found one of the applications of her interest. Entering such a well-known application with the logo of a white bird, a somewhat sleepy mind reached her somewhat sleepy exchange. Furtively, she glanced at the teenager in front of her, who was staring at her mother with contempt. She pressed her lips harder when an unpleasant shiver ran through her body, seeing the steel eyesight of her eyes. She hated that color of her eyes, yes, maybe she did not equal everyone with one measure because of the shade of his gaze, but she felt chills seeing someone with such a cool shade of steel. She stared at the screen of the electronic toy, which she squeezed between her fingers.  
— Brooke, I won't argue with you — the woman's angry voice ripped open the waiting rooms.  
Even if she tried to do everything she could to drown their rather loud discussion, she could not, she was perfectly aware that this small corridor suppresses all sounds, and she could only unwillingly listen to the exchange of profanity that was throwing at herself.  
She ran her finger over the tempered glass of the device to scroll down the page, wanting to read more of her friends' tweets. She stopped abruptly when she encountered one of Marinette's messages. She scanned the text and then displayed the photo below, which showed the first girls' workshops that she had attended for several days, you were aware of the time difference, but since the morning she couldn't even look at her social networks, even coffee dreams went into oblivion for a moment . A visit to the therapist was her priority. Finally, she wanted to deal with everything, and above all she wanted to learn how to deal with anxiety. She knew that during one visit she would not end and it would be a long way to come to normality, but she was ready to do everything to finally deal with her past.  
She sighed quietly as she pulled out the electronic keyboard, wrote down a few simple but content words, then published her comment. To be honest, she preferred Jack Dorsey and his associates' site much more than Facebook highs, though her friends or acquaintances had their accounts not set up there, she wasn't particularly interested, she wasn't interested in what the website that had previously served students might be interested in . She was not persuaded by her loved ones to sign up there, she definitely preferred a more reliable message in this inconspicuous communicator.  
— Honey, I'm doing it for your own good, I want to help you. Jack is no longer trusting you, you want to lose your father.  
The flow of words of an elderly woman hit her damn well, she did not like to hear about her fathers or hear how great they are. The enormous trauma she had suffered was still reflected on her, he intensified even more when she met John, and she felt painfully how much he hated her. She was a bastard to him, which should never be born, but the most what gave her the emotional pain was the words of that son of a bitch at one of their meeting. She bore humbly as he spat acid at her, she didn't even care that he had a new partner with his daughter, but as she described, the wishes of a quick death were extremely painful for her, especially when he said that he could do it right after birth. She remembered perfectly how tears rolled down her cheeks, though she approached his malicious remarks indifferently, then something cracked in her and her hatred for her father grew stronger. She had no heart, she would not want to talk about it and he was spoiling his slightly damaged relations with his parent, he had already lost his mother. The only person who knew about it was Anthony, although she told her beloved a few times what she was biting, she couldn't reveal it to him anymore. She could not open as she did to her close friend, in extreme cases, when she fell into her frenzy and fury he knew how to calm her down. Unfortunately, now they were separated by a difference of kilometers, but now she still honestly relied on him. He could temper her sometimes too explosive character. She blocked the device, comfortably leaning on the headboard of the sofa, she wanted to take a break and think, but she wasn't even given it when one of the doors opened. She looked curiously toward the talking couple with the young woman. She gave her a look, his delicate features that were not too provocative. The lines highlighted intense green - gray eyes, hiding under a light layer of powder a dark tan contrasted perfectly with the matching set of suits. She knew the dark hair in a high ponytail. She was no longer looking at this girl who seemed to be very young, which was really surprising that she was so taken therapists.  
— Mrs. Julia, I invite you — she saw a slight smile on her lips.  
She slipped the phone into the depths of her dark handbag, forgetting to turn on silent mode, but she was sure that no one could interrupt her. She was aware that her classmates were sitting in classes or student workshops, so the last thing they would like to talk to was a friend. She rose from the comfortable leather-draped sofa, not bothering to put on her purse, and walked confidently to the woman standing in the aisle. She invited her in with a gesture, and she did not even dare to withdraw, it was the last step that was to prevent her from going back and only going to the future.  
She stood in a modestly furnished study, the walls did not stand out from the background of the entire cord, the same color of white enveloped the walls of the room, decorated with only a few paintings, giving these harsh interiors coziness and delicacy, it was impossible not to notice the woman's hand placed in this place. Arranged on a low table, the flowers enveloped a rather small interior, the aroma of freshly cut roses hit her nostrils. She allowed herself to smell the beautiful stems hidden in a glass vase.  
She listened to the therapist who pulled her out of her thoughts, when she asked her to rest, which she was very pleased with. She moved near the wooden table, sitting on the edge of the soft cushions, they seemed so comfortable that it was difficult to get up from them. She watched the woman who stood in front of the desk, pushed aside a pile of rather urgent documents and cards of previous patients, trying to get to her notebook. Taking out a notebook bound in dark leather, she turned over her shoulder, scrutinizing the teenager with her rather unusual look, she did not seem to stand out in the crowd of her peers, as if problems never concerned her. However, experience has taught her that you never judge a person after the first impression, often people who seemingly normal had a lot of trouble or worry that they could not cope with. In her rather short career she met many young people with many worries that troubled them, but she felt that the situation with Miss Bennington would be more serious than she might have thought at first. Some girls are quite secretive and do not want to talk about themselves too much, even stories about their lives are a problem for them, subconsciously she knew that her new patient belongs to these people.  
\- Before we start, please be called by name.  
She raised her slightly surprised look at the young woman who had sat down on an empty chair, she was somewhat intimidated that her suggestion was quite bold, but she did not intend to question her opinion. She nodded her head, raising her eyes slightly as her next words came to her.  
— I would not like to create a blockade between us that you would not be able to overcome, I think that it will be better for you to address me without a master's degree — she explained calmly.  
— Good — she muttered a little more quietly.  
It may seem strange, but she did not feel shy or somehow uncomfortable, despite the awareness that she would be forced to reveal what disturbed her so much or troubled her for many months, she felt relatively calm. She wanted this change and nothing of a hypocritical and above all honest conversation. She did not want to be judged or consoled, she hated excessive care and the people who stood over her and said that everything would be all right, she needed people who shook her and listened attentively without creating substantive statements.  
— I would like you to explain to me what you come to me with?  
There was nothing left now but the honest truth. She knew that she could not say everything at the first meeting, it was still too difficult for her, but you always had to start over to get to the bottom of problems or worries, something she couldn't stand doing. Returning to memories of the past was extremely difficult for her, she would not count whenever she was overcome by fear and anxiety, when she was forced to return to the moments when the only thing she could feel was paralyzing fear and fear that she would not survive the next morning, these bad memories which she was so afraid of.  
— I don't even know where to start — she said boldly after a long moment — I haven't had the courage to tell anyone what I'm struggling with despite my seemingly arranged life — she stopped, sighing quietly.  
— Let's start from the beginning — said Camila.  
She washed her hands in her lap, putting the rough paper halfway down. She saw out of the corner of her eye a few words on a blank sheet of paper, but what caught her most attention was her name written in a nice neat female handwriting, and some initial comments about her, but she didn't look at them anymore.  
— Tell me what your life looks like, do not focus on details, but moments that are problems for you.  
She fell silent for a moment, staring dispassionately at the balls reflecting on the glass vase. Of course, the saying about sleepless nights was not too much of a problem for her, but the obstacle appeared when she was forced to talk about how she feels, when her mind is again attacked by those damn demons of her former miserable existence, the paths she followed, taking the wrong path . She walked the many paths she now regretted when she realized how many mistakes she had made, but she was not the cause of all the sleepy mar that haunted her. The shadow of her old life was painfully reflecting on her until that moment, if some events she could bury under her rubble other deeds, certain situations stubbornly surfaced, and she lost strength to destroy them.  
— I am worried about constant panic attacks — she said after quite a long silence — I often wake up in such moments without realizing what I am doing, acting like in some amok, doing what their mind dictates. I can't control my reflexes. I will not count the moments when my loved ones kept me from hurting myself. However, what worries me the most is that I won't hurt myself, however, those who want to help me. I can't say how they manage to calm down, it is only after a while that I can think rationally enough to assess the situation, but then I don't think much about it, because I feel too panicked with thoughts that I managed to do something wrong.  
She watched as a young woman, grabs the pen abandoned on the table and in a thin, slightly sloping writing notes something under the text above, she put the decorated pen on the paper again, straightening up in the seat.  
— Are there any situations that bother you?  
The discussion was getting longer and longer, but with every word she said, she was somehow relieved that she was getting rid of the enormous burden she was living with. Although they did not focus today on reaching into her past and the therapist focused more on her anxiety, she subconsciously knew that there must be a deeper bottom, since she was pushing to tell about them, she assured her that it would not be their only conversation about this when she complained that she didn't know how to control it. She did not hide, she felt a slight anxiety at the thought that she would have to return to these moments, she always tried to erase them from memory and not to ponder them, now she was forced not, but to confide in them, but to face them, like two soldiers fighting on opposite fronts. She had to tip the scales of victory to her side, to know that she had control over it.  
Leaving the therapist's office, she felt somehow satisfied with this conversation. The expectations she had in her heart at the beginning of this session did not disappoint her at all, they were more pleased that she made this decision, and the young psychologist seemed a really competent person who would help deal with the specter of her damn past. She assured her that they would have to meet regularly, so when she left the clinic she signed up for the next available date in exactly a week. Satisfied, she crossed the threshold of the glass door, stepping out onto the sidewalk in the afternoon sun. She found matching sunglasses in the back of her purse, slipped them carefully into her nose. She smiled slightly as she managed to hide her eyes from the intrusive golden globe. Crossing the pavement, she reached the car standing off the beaten track. She opened the door, and a notification sound reached her ears as she got into the car, took the ringing phone from inside her clutch, unlocking it with one move. She looked at the short text message and photograph of her beloved. She unlocked the screen, which immediately opened her private conversation with the musician. She tapped out a quick reply saying that he should come to her in an hour and start the engine herself, discarding her into a nearby seat. She hoped that nothing would disturb her that day, she just wanted to sit down to translate a fragment of the sent book and end her conflict with her boyfriend, who now seemed so damn childish to her. She knew that they both had quite explosive temperaments and that did not help them in this small quarrel, but the fact that they had argued about a triviality was already the height of absurdity. She noticed it only after a few days of silence really, although they were usually unanimous and did not get into conflict even at times when they could be divided by those stupid photos that were meant to slander her, their behavior was really pathetic. They both contributed to this discrepancy in the same way that she did not blame her beloved one for this coincidence and spoke her unreasonable words.  
Entering one of the more crowded highways, she murmured in disgust, when she saw in front of her a fairly large string of cars, what she expected, this city was famous for such enormous mobility, stood behind some sports vehicle whose engine almost roared. She grimaced a bit, maybe she liked such type of cars, but she hated excessive carelessness by reckless drivers who only want to brag about how great their car is. She always thought they could show off racing like that. Her lips lifted up as she remembered her fascination with motorbikes and the possibility of racing on a gravel road. She had a period when she was interested in these machines and the possibilities of competing in this discipline with other motorcyclists. However, she had to give up her desires and desires. She couldn't even afford a normal motorbike and what to think about a speeder, since she settled in sunny Los Angeles somehow she forgot about this desire and focused on skateboarding. The sudden influx of memories awakened her unfulfilled thirst, even though years had passed since those dreams, they were still alive in her. She sighed heavily, did not know what to do with it, she had the opportunity to go on and fulfill her desires. She still regretted the decision she made about her studies, she knew, however, that she would do everything to enroll for the next academic year and have the opportunity to continue her education, now her desire to participate in amateur races came.  
She continued on, when the road was empty, breaking through the thickets of streets, she finally found herself in a guarded housing estate of single-family houses. She pulled into the cobbled driveway of her brother's apartment. As she got out, she grabbed the handbag abandoned in the passenger seat, as well as her white model of the latest IPhone, slipped into her back pocket of shorts, crossing the sidewalk flooded with hot rays. She loved the Californian weather, which even in October allowed to wear fairly skimpy costumes, and the temperatures did not even allow you to feel the fall, which enveloped the whole world, but sometimes she looked wistfully at photos from Europe or central North America where people dressed in quite warm clothes taking pictures against the background of golden tree crowns. She had not experienced such a season of her life in her life, even the winters were hot in this city, so she could forget about the down layer of snow that would creak under her feet. Sometimes she wanted to flee to the mountains during the Nativity and feel the proverbial Christmas magic decorated with snowflakes. She did not complain, she was only glad that she could now spend this special time in the company of close people.  
Crossing the threshold of the apartment, she stood in the cool corridor, throwing off her matching sneakers, throwing them into the corner. She didn't care much about the abandoned clutch on the cabinet, she stepped springily over the threshold of a versatile kitchen. She stood at the annex, turning on the coffee machine, and her abandoned tablet dropped into her eyes. She forever where this device is found, so she was not surprised that she saw him on the windowsill among the pots with herbs. She grabbed it between her fingers, placing it on a light countertop, turned it on with one move and entered the internet browser without thinking. Typing the phrase she was interested in, she heard the device beep softly. She straightened up to reach into a nearby cabinet without any problem, took a cup out of it, placing the coffee machine on the support, including one of the buttons, waited for the brown liquid to fill the edges of the dish, and pressed the phrase with the photographs of speeders. Maybe in the car they were just thinking about it, the desire she carried inside her was huge and all she wanted now was to get some money to realize this one of her passions. However, she had no idea how to get so much money to buy a good machine. Of course, she could re-paint the drawings to order, but she would not get so much money in them, the last thing she wanted was to borrow that amount from her brother. She wanted to become more independent and raise money on her own. However, she had no idea what to do. Sighing, she poured milk into the prepared drink, then, grabbing a mug between her fingers, she went into the living room. She looked at the sofa, on which lay two bitches, which did not seem to care that their owner had returned, busy biting their toys, barking every now and then. Not wanting to disturb them, she climbed the wooden stairs, still holding the device in her clenched hand, but she did not look at the photos too much, she flew too many times with her attention and broke a bit, she preferred to avoid it, holding a glass between her fingers evaporating liquid. She pushed her arm through the door of her kingdom, entering such familiar walls, even though she liked order, now there was a slight mess. The recently painted paintings stood, leaning against a nearby wall, waiting for it to dry out enough to hide them, did not even want to look at its workplace, there was a real hurricane. With disgusted eyes, she stood in front of the desk, incense a cup of coffee and a locked tablet on it. She had to take care of it, but she didn't feel like it too much, but somehow she liked to be a pedant, yes, she didn't obsessively, but she liked when she had everything arranged in the right places. However, the last two days away from home did not even give her the opportunity to arrange everything in the right places, when she left the house in the early morning she returned to him in the evening to take her two public for a long walk, as a reward that she was gone for so many hours. She had a very busy time, although she did not study or work permanently. However, the days spent in the company of new friends completely satisfied her. Brothers Rick and Mike Scott and their good friend Derek belonged to the people with whom she quickly caught a common language at the last music festival. She tried to get her friends to this event, but they were too busy with their college exams, which surprisingly coincided at the same time. Reluctantly she had to go alone, of course she could take one of the guys from the band, but they were absorbed in rehearsals before the upcoming concert, unfortunately the absence of Chester caused that more duties fell on Shinoda and he had to deal with it, but their quiet days led to too much up on.  
She sat comfortably in a swivel chair, staring at the scattered brochures, reluctantly took to slipping everything into the cabinets and arranged colorful pencils into the caskets, the music then played reverberated throughout the room. It seemed that nothing could interrupt her blissful moment, she listened to the voice of her brother, recently she rarely allowed herself to listen to the pieces of her favorite musical group, she did not even remember when she last did it. Here it wasn't that she was ashamed only of the desire to meet new music bands, which left the songs of Linkin Park forgotten. However, she was already longing for these atmospheric songs and, using her free time, released the playlist she created, she knew that the band's team was taking care of their music platforms, but she liked to have playlists created for herself and did not necessarily have to use these group songs. Throwing a bread eraser into the container through the loud sound of Nobody's Listening came a soft melody of the doorbell. She put the jar of pencils on the dark counter, then rose from her comfortable seat. Adjusting her pinched up braid a bit purple - pink hair, she left the bedroom. Descending the dark steps, she crossed the living room, where the dogs were still playing, and she hurried to open. She pressed the doorknob, overcoming the door's resistance, raised her eyes to meet Michael standing in the doorway. She saw him staring at her in amazement, which made her laugh.  
— I'm sorry, I think I got the wrong apartment — he said in a slightly stupid voice.  
She could not stop the burst of joy that enveloped her body. She laughed softly as the meaning of his last statement once again reached her.  
— Have I changed so much? — She asked, even more cheerful.  
She invited him inside, which he did not refuse. He crossed the threshold of the apartment, eyeing the girl standing nearby. He could confidently say that the change of hairstyle and especially the shade of her dark strands could give the impression that he was standing in front of a completely different teenagers, but her characteristic blue eyes betrayed who was hiding under such colorful hair. They saved themselves a fairly gentle greeting, despite the rather loose atmosphere, each of them remembered perfectly well what differed between them and why their relationship had cooled so recently.  
She asked him to follow her and she crossed the hall again. Standing in the sun-drenched corridor, she turned over her shoulder to see her boyfriend who approached her, overcome the last steps, entering the room flooded with musicians. She stood in front of the desk to find a remote control abandoned in the stereo system, reducing the volume of music playing in the background, she put it on the mahogany desk top, she was not even able to turn around when Michael's low voice reached her ears.  
— Honey, I'm sorry — the palpable repentance in his voice struck her.  
She turned over her shoulder, her face devoid of emotion, the sadness smoldering in her bright gaze was the only signs of what she really felt and how tired the conflict arose.  
— I'm not guilty either. Forgive me, I shouldn't point out these mistakes, I acted like a shit — she admitted after a moment of deep silence — If you look at it, I started this row, I should be sorry not you — she said in a slightly tight voice.  
However, before she could finish her monologue, she felt like, clenching her hands, on her waist, and she did not even try to protest, confidently cuddled in his arms, the delicate smell of his intense perfume hit her nostrils, but she clung to him even more. She had missed it the last days, maybe they had thought it wise to argue about trifles before, but now in retrospect they knew their behavior was really pathetic.  
She didn't notice when her partner sat down in a nearby swivel chair, and she forced himself to sit on his lap, they both were well aware that despite a few days of separation, they were too longing for each other now to give up this charming moment that reigned between them. They wanted their closeness and nobody would interrupt them.


	58. TOM 2 — TAKEN : 14 — PAINTINGS BY AGRESTE — PART 1

— Honey, I still don't think it was a sensible idea.  
He sighed slightly sluggishly, falling on the soft fluff of unfolded pillows, he felt a bit tired of the constant negation of his girlfriend. He loved her for her pugnaciousness and quite a charismatic approach to life, however, sometimes she became bothersome, it would not be surprising if his beloved still fell to extremes in which she underestimated her skills and the incredible artistic sense that she possessed. He knew that her self-esteem had been really low at some point in time, but a lot had happened since that time, and the young Miss Bennington had acquired that pugnacity and character she had lacked before, but sometimes her indecision was in her favor, just like today, when she tried again to withdraw from his offer and cancel the entire opening of her work.  
He did not have to convince her for too long when the idea came out of his mouth to display her paintings in the gallery. He was slightly astonished when he saw the amount of small works of painting she created, although she did not like to boast about it and belonged to modest people despite her appearance, they could not be accused of not knowing what she created. This was noticeable even by a person who, unlike him, did not graduate from the prestigious college of fine arts and could see that this girl had a knack for classes, which over time became her passion.  
However, this morning they again showed somehow that she was afraid and she looked ever more reluctantly at tonight, which was to be one of the most important painter in her career. He understood her stress and anxiety overwhelming her, it was a natural thing that accompanies everyone who decided to take such a step, he did not feel different himself before his first exhibition, but experience has taught him that there is no reason to worry even when it is yours debut exhibition. He tried to calm her down, but she was too panicked, in a way he understood her, but he was here to help her get rid of her anxiety and believe in her strength, but she refused and it worried him.  
— Julia, how are you stressing? — He asked, floating on his elbows.  
He watched his sympathy stroll anxiously across the bright panels of the room, wringing his fingers anxiously. She was not very stressed, the last time he saw her so restless, before her high school final exams, where she was afraid to leave the room, leaving a blank card behind her, but the effect of her painstaking learning was not in vain and although she was going through a kind of rebellion at that time, when she tried to do everything that her ex-boyfriend wouldn't get back on her head again, she would have done better than she'd expected. She passed all subjects almost with exemplary oceans, to her general surprise, when she received the results, she was amazed that they were so satisfactory, and she could apply without worries to universities with excellent references. Who would have thought that this girl would not only leave high school as one of the best students of her year with a strip on her certificate. One day, she confessed that at the previous school she was not such a diligent student, and she almost did not fail math, which was her Achilles heel. The help of David, who agreed to teach her subjects from time to time, proved to be really fruitful. Farrell was excellent in finance for as long as he could remember. It was not a problem for him difficult activities over which some sat for hours, partly thanks to him she did not fail exams in a disliked subject. She sat down with him over the material a few days earlier to repeat the whole material again, it turned out to be the best solution, but it did not minimize her stress.  
— Are you afraid that nobody will come or that I will not receive your paintings correctly? — He asked, rising from a soft mattress.  
He slowly walked over to the restlessly walking teenager. He stood in front of her, forcing her to stop halfway through. She lifted the look of her bright iris, in which he saw a lot of anxiety about today's meeting, her heart was beating mercilessly in her chest, she had the impression that with each breath she lost ground under her feet. She had no idea what was going on with her, but her nerves had never bothered her so much. Michael's words struck her even more, she was aware that she was doing everything to make her feel better, but she could not calm down.  
She sank limply to a nearby rustle, propping her hands on her knees. What was she afraid of? She was not able to answer this question unequivocally. She was not worried by the lack of any people, because she was mentally prepared for this, not many young artists manage to win the audience at the first vernissage of their own works, she knew how difficult it was to stand out in such circles, because many critics and experts or people who were interested painting, they put more emphasis on well-known and popular people and she was new, even if it was Mike who supported her in organizing and supervised her first exhibition. Yes, maybe she liked her drawings or small sketches about the feature-length films she wasn't sure about. She always felt that she would collapse, somehow make a mistake that would be so noticeable and not liked by the person she showed it. However, the most worried her when she had to, move the proportions, which was sometimes not easy when she used a photo that did not even match the canvas of the picture. However, she had to admit that she liked the painting very much and was almost proud of it. There was a moment when she wanted to hang it on the wall and admire it, however, she quickly gave up the idea of framing it, because it did not suit her decor, so she concealed the portrait of Marilyn Moore and did not even try to come back to him. She unearthed him, but especially for this exhibition she hoped that even he would not accept much.  
— Honey, you have nothing to worry about, I know it's a natural reflex, but I assure you that everything will work out.  
— How do you know? — She suddenly exploded — She packs herself into some damn swamp without any rescue plans — What I got into — she moaned miserably.  
He watched him hide his face in his hands and his hands began to fall from powerlessness. He knew how Julia was stubborn, hard to make compromises, but he didn't want to let go. She won't let her one chance in a million happen and her exhibition will be accepted. All that was left was to talk her away from giving up, which wasn't easy. He crouched in front of her, reaching for her hands with his hands, carefully sliding them away from her pale cheeks. He saw the fear in her beautiful look.  
— Julia, I will keep telling you this, even in the moments when you want to hurt me because I repeat myself — she said firmly — Do not give up the possibilities that were given to you, you have been working on this exhibition for the last weeks, do you want to cancel it now? Give up such a huge opportunity.  
— You can, you're right — she sighed quietly — What if it doesn't work? — she asked — If the whole opening fails and everything breaks down.  
— I assure you, nothing will happen, I promised to support you and I will keep that word — he said patiently.  
She looked at him for a moment, a bit distrustfully, it was difficult for her to agree with someone, it came with a huge burden, because she was a person who could not stand compromises. However, the panic that overwhelmed her made her think just like a year ago, when she did not think that anything in her life would achieve, she was at a loss at the very beginning of the fight, the path she was following, instead of facing it and struggling despite difficulties she still preferred to let go, her thoughts were almost identical and it scared her. She promised to abandon her past, which she plagued her for a new life away from the problems that frustrated her so much, she could feel anxiety, but only behind the door of Camila's office, which she decided to talk about secrets that no one but her best friend from her youth had not he had no idea.  
She did not hide the therapy, she helped her a lot, with each meeting she felt less and less anxious, she ceased so much to hide her old life, which she did not want to return to, she threw out all smoldering demons in her, uncomfortable memories and moments she had previously wished to forget , they became only specters that she began to awaken. Her psychologist found an effective way to talk about herself and what she is afraid of or respectful of without getting panicked and suddenly changing the subject. She had no idea how she had done it, that she could easily complain about her, which seemed extremely difficult to her when she came face to face with her loved ones. Yes, she might have told Michael about her ex-boyfriend's possessiveness to some extent, and how cruel he wanted to bet on his own, but he didn't know the whole truth about the hypocritical asshole she had been dating for several months. No one knew the secret he had been holding on his shoulders for five years, something that made her unable to sleep at night. In a way she knew where her nightmares come from, but she did not have the courage to say it to her, she was convinced that she should leave some things to herself, unfortunately she did not know that this causes damage to her mind and the way she looks at certain events in her rather short life.  
She rested her hand on her thigh, looking with a certain certainty smile at the boy sitting in front of her, she took too far to now just let go and cancel the entire show she was working on so. Yes, the help of a loved one was a huge support for her, who helped her organize everything, but she did not know where to start and if it was not for his advice, she was still stuck in one place with a set of several portraits and dressages stuck in the depths of her wardrobe allowing them to dust until he has to fold his briefcase at the Academy of Fine Arts. However, she wasn't sure if her full-length canvases would be suitable for her documents, which she had to submit to universities. There will come a time when she will have to be interested in it, but it is only the first month of this academic year.  
— I can only thank you for that — she said.  
She straightened up, but was still sitting on the edge of the couch, stretched out her hands towards him, which she quickly grasped, the armband resting on her palm tilted slightly, revealing some letters of the name that she hid inside her hand. She did not remember when she bought this material bracelet and how she found it under a pile of clothes, when she noticed this small thing, remembered how willingly she was in it, she walked when she lived in an orphanage, which reminded her of so many joyful moments. She watched as the musician slightly turned her hand to see the inscription created, which depicted his native formation. He looked up at her, and she just shrugged in a slight gesture. He rarely saw her to wear any gadgets or t-shirts related to their musical group, he often saw her in t-shirts of other music bands, even those she created, but seeing her name Linkin Park was almost a miracle.  
— Come on? — she said with a gentle laughter, seeing the look of her friend — You forgot that I am still listening to you - she laughed softly.  
— You wouldn't try — he threatened suggestively.  
She laughed aloud, and he rose from the rather uncomfortable position he was in. He watched his beloved look a little upward, saw the glare of pomegranate in her eyes that could restlessly shiver, but the smile on her lips spoiled the importance of the situation she wanted to create.  
— Is this a threat? — She asked feistyly.  
He leaned slightly towards her, washing his hands on the edges of the couch upholstered in bright material, she did not even dare to pull away, she could almost feel his breath on her slightly pale cheeks, which have lost their natural color of dark brown in recent days, she could not look away from him, when he stared at her with such intense gaze.  
— No — he said, his voice even deeper — However, encouragement.  
She frowned, astonished at his last words. She didn't understand it at all, didn't even try to guess. It was impossible not to notice that her partner had recently liked throwing similar texts at her, as she thought of cheap pickups, which she did not really take seriously, she knew him too well and knew that she knew how to be more romantic.  
She knew his prankster nature and was not surprised if he would pay her another joke. He often did this when they were not together yet, she remembered these situations well, she was cold—tempered, but sometimes his play was so annoying that she had to settle his bill. It ended in a race for them, like children all over the house, shouting war cries at uncertain times. If she joined him and Chester, who had thought again, was forced to play with her. Maybe she watched videos on their social networks and knew how, they can, sometimes be hated in their antics, it was only when she had the opportunity to meet them and after being with them for a long time, she learned what they are really jokes. It didn't bother her much, because she liked to joke herself, but there were days when she didn't feel like stupid texts, which didn't mean that her friends had no intention of using it.  
It was difficult to bet on whether it was one of the clumsy flirts, or a futile joke, she did not feel like a stupid joke, it was not about lack of humor, she was rather afraid tonight. She was still wondering if everything would go well and if everything would go as she planned.  
Michael seemed to sense it clearly because she heard his soft sigh. She sank into the seat next to her, falling onto the soft material of a satin cape.  
— Forgive me kitty — she said a bit contrite — I don't think he is suitable for pickup today — she said with a slight amusement.  
— Who told you he was trying to pick you up now that you were mine — he said.  
Then she noticed his hands, which slid slowly down her waist, laced his hands on her slightly exposed belly, pushed the strands of her colored hair, pushing the cheek to her collarbone from her shoulder. She could almost taste his lustful lips on her bare skin, which effectively distracted her and led her out of her deeper thoughts. She turned slightly in his arms, he turned out to be smarter when he put her on his lap, she was no longer angry at him as he seated her on his thighs, driving her almost crazy. Maybe she didn't like it, maybe the reason was that she was ashamed, which was completely absurd or aversion to her previous relationships, but she didn't like these gestures, but with time she began to get used to it and became less and less annoyed with him, with time she began to like it and clung to him herself when the circumstances were favorable, she did not intend to use it, since they were sitting in an empty house, and her brother stated that he had not seen his long-dead friend for a long time and he would visit her. She suspected that he would not return soon from this meeting, she got to know Katline a bit and could see their relationship. There was a moment when she wondered if there would be anything sparkling between the two and nothing more than friendship, but the longer she watched them, she decided that love would have no reason to know them. She could compare their acquaintance to her friends with Anthony, whom she would never look like as a potential admirer. He treated her like a foster sister rather than a potential candidate for a partner, she also had a similar opinion about him.  
She folded her hands at his neck, passionately staring at those eyes glistening in the light of the glowing sun. She sometimes thought about her relationship, she was probably not the only person who thought about it, she did not bother about why exactly she was chosen, she was aware of what Shinoda values in her, what respect he has for her, but what is most important in them she praised who loved her for what she was, she did not hide from him, she did not even try, she was always an unreliable girl, she did not dress up too much, because she did not like sitting in front of the mirror, for hours she put on naturalness and comfortable in her clothes, her thoughts were rather directed in a different direction, what would happen if they both had the opportunity to meet completely different people and love them, and they would still be friends. She guessed that her potential boyfriend would not be delighted with her close relations with the musician, because even when they did not have love, they were very emotional towards each other and it did not bother them at all. Probably the most what seemed normal to them was that there were times when they slept together instead of awkwardness they were more satisfied with it. It may seem a bit ridiculous, however, in their case the effect was different than commonly intended. Maybe his presence helped her deal with what was bothering her, or maybe she needed a guy like him. She did not want to wonder, she preferred to enjoy the joy of the shelf maybe, before this joy was again taken away from her.  
She took his face in her hands, slightly lifting up, she would not really be reasonable if she did not take advantage of this situation. The taste of his mouth full of a kind of intimacy hurt her senses painfully when she let herself taste the full mouth again. She loved it when she could remember the sweetness of their passion or passion again, she could spend many hours in his presence, without even affectionate and would not be bored with his company, she adored him, this feeling had already intensified when they could meet each other, and she could give him joy or look at that tender look. The relationship with Michael was definitely comforting, she revived in this love and it was not only noticeable by her how much she had blossomed since she began dating him.  
She had previously thought that she had everything, but she was wrong, she lacked true and mutual love. A lasting relationship built on the pillars of trust, mutual respect and before all without the lack of any dominance on the part of her partner. She could not bear the next love where the boy decides for her or in some drastic way influences her opinions. Mike was one of the people who respected her views and cared for her opinion, which she missed most.  
She pulled away slightly from his lips, surreptitiously glancing at the watch on the nearby cabinet, moaned a little dissatisfied when she realized that it was an hour until her vernissage, her partner clearly sensed a change in her mood, as he followed her gaze, staring at the screen electronic alarm clock. Maybe she didn't feel that they had wasted the whole afternoon on discussions or antics and her later fears, however, she wanted time to stop for a moment, allowing them to keep a little more time for themselves. However, she had to prepare, she wasn't going to dress up too much, but she wasn't going to go there in the top, which revealed her shapely belly and ordinary shorts, sooner potential customers took her to their tongues than they took her, to take her seriously. Fiask at the first exhibition. With great reluctance she got out of his embrace, she saw the disgust in his eyes.  
— I'm not as impressed with this as you are cats, but I have to prepare myself — she hurried to explain.  
She watched as he nodded slightly, but did not dare to speak. Sighing quietly, she walked through the bright panels, disappearing behind the wardrobe door, turning on the light, looked around the wardrobe full of clothes, she did not even know when she had accumulated so much, not that she was not dissatisfied, however, when she was still in Phoenix , she couldn't afford such a huge amount of clothes, now she sometimes allowed herself to go crazy, but a few of these cloths were designed by her two friends. Since Marinette joined their package and made devoted friends, she was more willing to share her ideas, sometimes her clothes were invited by her or Emily and Alex so that they could measure her designs, Selena hadn't been an exception since she joined them, at the beginning of last September her impetuous friend gave her several batches of clothes that she felt were not in her taste, but they suited her perfectly, because she often got them from her cousin so she could redo them or she received it for her own use, but she didn't like it when she saw how, she liked to dress, she put into her hands three huge sacks of clothes and a pair of clothes designed by her. She tried to refuse, but she did not accept her protests. She had to take it with her.  
Searching the shelves in search of something interesting, she flipped through hangers with dresses that she rarely dressed. She had absolutely no idea what to wear, took out one of the straps with a straight cut skirts, then put aside on a bright dresser, looked again with the hope that she would find something more interesting, then she found a similarly modest red skirt. She tossed it on a bright piece of furniture when a dark-sewn denim jacket fell into her hand, which looked more like a top than a jacket, but took it out among other coats. She stood in front of the huge mirror, grabbing the first tress from the edge, applying it to her body. She did not seem angry, but something did not suit her, she took the red fabric of the dress, repeating her act.  
— You will definitely be better in this white one.  
She flinched a little in fear when she saw Michael's leaning barge in the mirror's reflection. She turned to him over her shoulder, saw his amused smile when he saw her murderous look, but she quickly improved.  
— You think so? — She said, turning to him.  
— Red suits you, but you'll contrast too much with your hair shade. Choose something softer and not to pay too much attention to yourself.  
To be honest, she did not recognize him from this side, the guys rather avoid all matters related to women's fashion or clothes, there are disputes in one relationship that the partner spends too much on these rags, as they call it, but she never felt it in this way. Mike did not like to remind her of anything, for which she was extremely grateful to him, but she also did not show off so much. Rather, she avoided topics about women's shopping with her loved one and preferred to leave such discussions when she meets, with friends with him she had definitely more interesting topics and things to do.  
She looked at the material she was holding and decided that it was definitely the best solution. She set aside the other material of the skirt, and she bent down to one of the shelves, which she filled with shoes. Then quite high white stilettos, which she bought on the last espads in the mall, caught her eyes. She decided to go alone and refresh her wardrobe a bit when she saw those decorated with small crystals a pair of pins. She grabbed them, being careful not to make a mess. With the desired clothes, she left the bedroom, previously stole a kiss from her beloved.  
She walked quickly through the corridor bathed in bright sunlight. She pushed the slightly ajar door open. She dropped the clothes on one of the cabinets, turning the key in the lock. She took off her clothes hurriedly, stepping under the shower cubicle, did not have much time for long baths today, so she put on a nourishing shower. She suppressed a sudden squeal that was trying to escape through her mouth as the almost ice-cold water enveloped her. She reached for the switch, quickly tuned to the right temperature, yes, she liked cool baths, but not so cold. She washed away the difficult morning this morning, wanting to refresh herself a bit, if she could spend hours under water before, which was definitely her element, she left the cabin after a long moment. She wrapped herself in the softness of a white towel, standing in front of a crooked mirror, grabbed a moisturizing cream lying on the edge of the sink, she hated when she had to fight, with over-dried dishes more than once she had a problem with it, so now she preferred to protect herself than to suffer later. She looked at herself for a moment, when she grabbed the curling iron, she could now admit that she looked quite phenomenal in this purple-pink hair, although she had liked before, she was limited to one color, she avoided any shades of ombre, but when she looked at herself now she liked this little metamorphosis more. She slipped one of the strands of hair into the device, waited for a moment to release the slightly curled hair after a while, did not like the layer of curls, put on lightness, sometimes laughed at Brad, how he can withstand, with such an uncompromised hairstyle. She knew it was his charm, but she still had a lot of fun with his rather unusual hair. While earlier she was too withdrawn and very shy to comment on her hair, her friend was now laughing at him, which he only acknowledged by saying that I was a copy of Chester.  
Releasing the last lock, she set the device down, combing her hair back slightly. Drying her body, she grabbed the dress abandoned on the cabinet, passing it over her head, tried to reach for the title to slide the lock, but it proved too difficult, because he was hung in a rather unfortunate place. She moaned miserably, giving up, she definitely needed some help. Disgusted, she left the versatile bathroom, the click of her heels reflected against the walls of the apartment, stood in the passage of her bedroom, looking for her beloved. He was sitting comfortably unfolded in her swivel chair, reviewing something on the tablet.  
Before he could stop her, she walked away from him a few steps, she was more interested, where she abandoned her jacket. Recently, temperatures in the city have fallen slightly to general relief, but not for long, because the synoptics, announcing the quite hot end of October. She grabbed the abandoned object on the shelf, placing it on her shoulders. She didn't bother doing make-up, she didn't feel like it, and she didn't want to, she takes unnecessary time. She found only the abandoned phone and the key to the apartment, which surprisingly were on the dresser to her surprise. She usually left it by the hanger in the hallway, she didn't even want to wonder how they got here.  
— Are we going —She asked as she came down after a two-stage lift.  
— Of course — he said calmly — Did you tell Chester to come? — He asked as they walked down the bright steps of the villa.  
— Yes. He decided that if he could get Kate out, he would appear — she answered involuntarily.  
They stepped out onto a driveway flooded with bright rays, with no vehicle standing outside of the Shinoda convertible. She looked at the music, already opened her mouth to ask who should go, but he lasted, leading to his car. It wasn't often that she would direct in his presence, it wasn't that he didn't let her, rather she wasn't eager to do it, that's why she took advantage of all the occasions when her beloved led her and she could afford at ease.  
She slipped into the black leather seat, waiting for her partner to take the driver's place. He started the engine, then cautiously went to a rather busy road, it was a long time before the greatest summit, when their neighbors were returning from work, maybe they were living in the company of world music and film stars, it was impossible to feel it, they behaved like normal citizens with their duties and the work they had to do. She did not hide that during one of the walks with her pets she collided with two familiar men whom she only saw on the TV screen or watched their performances on the Internet. She did not even notice how quickly she got in touch with them, despite their great respect for them, they talked extremely freely, and she heard from them that they had seen her several times in the estate, but she had to disappoint Jared and Adam, because for the first time they matured them at all they were not surprised by this, revealing that they have been very busy lately and rarely go home. This one meeting helped develop their warmer acquaintance and the next walk she came closer to them, as soon as they saw her in the park near the estate then and had the pleasure to meet the second brother Leto, who came to visit his younger brother and his family. She did not hide, it was a slight surprise to her that without interference she met musicians whom she honestly admired and respected. However, what amazed her was the proposition of the singer Three Days Grace, who proposed another meeting and the opportunity to improve acquaintance. She wasn't supposed to use it? She'd be stupid if she didn't use it. Often, however, she was writing with them now, which I was unpleasantly pleased with, but she did not tell anyone that she had the pleasure of meeting her favorite vocalists, and even keeps in touch with them.  
She didn't know when they made their way through the busy streets, the highway was almost empty, which was a huge surprise considering that Los Angeles was a very busy city, but it was in their favor because they would be ahead of time. With each kilometer driven, she felt growing fear whether everything was ready in the gallery, whether the employees took care of the proper display of her paintings. Even a year ago, she expressed a great reluctance to display her paintings at a fairly large exhibition, now it really happened, and her nerves almost ate from the inside, but she tried her best to behave naturally. She knew that she would breathe only after the evening was over.  
They stood under a building known to her, she decided to follow the advice of her boyfriend and put on an exhibition in the premises, which he rented himself a year ago. The curator turned out to be nice enough that when she saw her work, she agreed to give her as much space as she needed and expressed her appreciation for her talent, as the gallery owner later found out, she focused on development and youth sought artists who were just beginning their career and when she saw the potential in them, she took them under her wings, then thought that there would be many such people, and not those who are too focused on known artists, yes, she respected these artists, but sometimes it was too difficult for young people to stand out, which is amazing made their situations difficult. Unfortunately, she had to admit that her contacts had worked, Mike had been in these circles for a long time, and he was mainly involved in the general organization of her leave to work on the paintings and refine the details. She did not hide, she was a bit wrong with it, but she wanted to take this opportunity.


	59. TOM 2 — TAKEN : 14 — PAINTINGS BY AGRESTE — PART 2

Passing through the glass door, she clung to the arm of her beloved. They were walking through the bright gallery corridor. Finally, they arrived at the appropriate room, where she had already noticed a few people, including the curator, who was telling something to a group of gathered spectators, and a story about herself reached her ears.  
— She appeared just in time — she said, raising her hand to her and the crowd turned toward her.  
An elderly woman squeezed through the small gathering, approaching the teenager. She put her arm around her, breaking her boyfriend's grip, and almost forced her to approach the widow. Her anxiety grew even more when she did not have Michael with her, but he appeared almost as if on cue, beside her. He took her hand discreetly, folding their fingers together.  
— This is the author of these wonderful works that you could admire — she announced.  
Then it began, she was surrounded by a group of people who threw a question time and time again, and she did not come with explanations, but with each passing minute she felt a bit bolder and more willingly answered her questions, which they addressed to her, heard the words of flattery from a few people , although the exhibition has not started yet, a large crowd has gathered. She did not expect this, not even daring to expect, but she did not hide such a warm reception, she enjoyed it.  
She got out of the embrace of her fans, encouraging them to look at other images or landscapes, she wanted to take a break and find Mike, who unexpectedly disappeared somewhere. She noticed him standing nearby talking to none other than Mr. Jonathan Richard's who wanted to see her work during the last vernissage of the musician.  
— Mrs. Julia, how nice to see you again — he greeted her warmly.  
He reached out a hand for her, which she probably gripped. She felt her gently hug her, then she stopped at the side of her beloved.  
— Hello, Mr. Richards — she said politely — What brings you here? — She asked.  
— My wife found out about the emerging artist's exhibition, I wanted to check it out, but I didn't expect to see you here — he smiled warmly.  
— Irony of fate, Mr. Jonthan — she said with amusement.  
Then she saw a woman approaching them, she could not look closer at her, but from a distance she saw her cream dress, which stretched toward the ground, saw that despite her age she was extremely charming and very beautiful. She stood at her husband's side, and she could take a closer look at her. Small wrinkles enveloped her forehead, but they were cleverly hidden behind a light makeup that perfectly matched the slightly elongated face. The shadow under her eyelids contrasted perfectly with her shade of corset, the lips were crowned with a delicate shade of rose lipstick.  
— Honey, please meet Mrs. Julie Bennington — the publisher turned to his wife when she grabbed his arm — She is the author of those works that you admired.  
— Marie Richards — she introduced herself almost like an aristocrat.  
— Julia Bennington — she said, slightly uncertainly taking her hand in a firm grip.  
— You have the incredible talent of Mrs. Julia— said Marie in a full voice — I rarely meet people who inspire me so much, with their creativity, John has a nose that he decides to support young people in their passions - she said, praising her husband — I would like to get one from your paintings, won't it be a problem for you?  
— Of course not — she said, somewhat shy.  
She entered into further discussion with the Richards, who decided to pay for the painting they liked, which she was very pleased with. Discussing with Mrs. Maria, when a familiar female voice reached her ears, which she had already heard several times.  
— Gabriel, you have to find me this artist immediately, did I make myself clear?  
She apologized to her interlocutor, turning gently over her shoulder. Then in the middle of the room she saw Emilie Agreste in the company of her husband and two slightly bored sons, but in their eyes amused when they watched the conversation of their parents. She walked away a few steps towards a familiar family. She saw Adrien turn towards her and slightly speechless with impression, but quickly rushed towards her, squeezing tightly.  
— Julia, what are you doing here? — He asked as he pushed her away.  
— And what you think — she laughed softly, seeing his suspicious look — I'm running an exhibition of my work — she said proudly.  
— Really? — apparently animated at her words.  
She was not able to predict in any way the next actions of the blonde. She watched him gently turn over his shoulder, noticing in the distance still discussing parents and her older brother, who was not enthusiastic about spending the Saturday evening with his family at some work exhibition. He preferred to be in a completely different place, he had similar thoughts before he saw his good friend from school. He knew that Julia had already attended art classes in high school, he and his girlfriend did not know her enough to be aware that the teenager had been painting for many years. Their relationship was not warm, he did not count the quarrels or quarrels that had been going on between them until Alexis's accident. Their friendship was really made of mutual dislike. They let each other meet for weeks, when they supported each other in difficult times.  
— Mom! He called after the blonde, who gestured vigorously, saying something to her husband, but turned to him when she heard his call — I found the painter you were looking for — he added even louder.  
She looked at him a bit surprised, but she didn't even have time to speak when Mrs. Agreste found her, dragging her with her, clearly disgusted husband and older son. She had already had the opportunity to meet her friend's parents, but this time her eyes stopped on the young man who accompanied them. Alexis did not seem to stand out from his loved ones, the same fiery golden hair and intense green eyes that the younger brother had inside him, for a moment she had the impression that looking like twins, if not for one detail. There was a large postoperative scar on the older Agreste's cheek, but he was nevertheless really handsome, and as Adrien could not accuse him of appearance.  
She greeted him sincerely, squeezing his slightly large hand. She did not see the beloved, who looked at her with a gentle smile away, stopping a bit from the side. He sensed that Julia would somehow achieve her little success, he did not even have to dip his fingers in it too much, the only thing he allowed himself to do was organize the opening of the rest he gave the rest to her hands. When he looked at her, he had to admit that she was doing very well and many people liked her work. He watched as he argued with the family of a friend, not wanting to leave alone, broke through the crowd, embraced her from behind, but she didn't even flinch too much absorbed in the discussion with Emilie, but she knew the sensitive touch of his partner's hand well to confuse him with anyone else.  
\- Are you sure you would like to buy Marilyn Moore selfies? She asked calmly in a voice she didn't suspect herself at the moment the euphoria enveloped her.  
She did not think her paintings would cause such a stir. The opening caused her anxiety about the lack of any interest, but now she was greatly touched by how warmly they were received. She didn't even think about buying any of her paintings, but she was wrong when she received the second shopping offer that evening.  
— Of course, dear — a woman chirped.  
She completely forgot how Mrs. Agreste is talkative when she visited Adrien, often dragged her to gossip, and when she still saw the girl of her younger son, it was not without time spent with coffee and cake and whining blonde, who often told them during their discussions, that they have a project to complete or tasks to complete. She was most amused by the relationship of a woman who said that he would give up and go to his father and brother. However, despite such a spontaneous personality, Mrs. Emilie really liked her, and she sometimes dreamed of such a mother.  
— I'm buying both — she said eagerly.  
Uprooted from the depths of melancholy, she jerked her head up, and her attention was caught by two blonds, who amused looked at their mother, who almost forcibly pulled a block of checks from the hands of the designer.  
She surreptitiously looked at Mike, who was standing by her side as the woman pulled a golden office from inside a small clutch. She saw him smile at her comfortingly as the blonde filled one of the prints. She pulled out a piece of paper with a sweeping motion, handing over the forms to the man standing beside her. She slid a paper toward her and clenched her shapely fingers. She uncertainly pulled it out between her well-groomed nails, with a slightly quivering heart glanced at the amount written in the bottom corner of the check. She was dumbfounded with surprise when she saw the six-digit number, were it not for the presence of a loved one who, seeing her pale face, wrapped her in a stronger embrace, looking over her shoulder. He understood Julia's sudden reaction when she stared at the form written in beautiful feminine writing.  
— But it definitely exceeds the amount I set — she gasped, looking up.  
— My love is small to me, and the amount you suggested was really funny, artists like you should be valued — she said.  
She looked dumbfounded as her friend's family walked away, talking loudly, leaving her with a slightly stupid face and dilemmas that struck her mind. She was even convinced that when she found her friend's mother and gave her the check, she would not accept it, but she did not expect such a generous salary of four hundred thousand dollars, it was simply impossible.  
— Little what's up, you look terrible?  
She twitched slightly scared in Mike's arms, raised her somewhat absent gaze, seeing in front of her brother who was looking at her worried and cheerful as always Katline, who, as soon as she saw her, ended her endless monologue, which she treated to senior Bennington from crossing the museum entrance. She saw the pale face of a teenager who still had not recovered from the recent meeting with Mrs. Agreste.  
— Julia, this is my brother Alexis — he introduced his brother to a friend — Alexis is my friend Julia.  
— Mike, tell me it's just a dream — she choked up sluggishly, raising her head slightly — I'm dreaming some fucking dream! — She murmured in concern.  
— The most expensive is reality and this is not one of your dreams — he said with such calm, but there was a note of strange joy in his voice.  
They did not even notice how two of the musicians they knew came out of the crowd, who, as soon as they saw them, accelerated their pace, stopping in a small group.  
— Hey — Dave said — you're young as pale as a wall, something happened? — He worried. Behind her she heard a soft sigh from Michael, who discreetly slipped a scrap of paper from her clenched fingers, handing it to her close friend. He glanced curiously at the print and whistled loudly in appreciation.  
— Just praise you young," Brad said approvingly, extending his hand with a note to the singer, who quickly grabbed it, glancing at the pad with attention, looking at the amount written on it.  
— Isn't that a slight exaggeration? — Katline became interested, looking over her friend's shoulder — Definitely the amount is very high and it is only for two drawings — she wondered.  
— The Agreste family is included in one of the richest families in the world — said Julia in a stupid voice — Adrien mentioned that his mother can spend much more money on a single picture, but this is far too high for me, considering that I even I haven't finished any professional courses and I see art studies in dark colors. You know that she paints as a complete amateur with six years of experience, but I am still critical of my work.  
— My mother can appreciate artistic works of art.  
She started, frightened, hearing the voice of her friend behind her, slowly turned in the arms of her beloved, carefully following Adrien, who stopped right next to her side, the familiar smile wandering on his lips.  
— I think she sees you as an extraordinary artist, and that already means something — he praised her — You impressed her and my mother is difficult to please a person who is extremely sophisticated and always looking for something that does not get boring her after a while — she looked at him when he folded his hands on the chest, putting one of his hands to his chin, tapping his finger on his narrow lips — I think she will ask you more than once, you would prepare something for her, so she won't be surprised. She is so delighted that the reptile, like a wind-up - he finished, lowering his hands along the sides — At least I managed to snatch — laughed softly.  
— Young desertion — almost at the same time, amused Alexis appeared on his shoulder.  
— You know your mother, if she turns up, even her father has had enough — he replied to his brother — Not to mention her chats with Marinette and her — he looked meaningfully at his friend.  
However, she did not care too much, she raised her head proudly, causing a slight amusement among her friends.  
— I can't help it, your mom is talking great — she said flatly, looking at the blonde.  
— Make an appointment for coffee, take your mother by the way, then when you talk, there will be no end.  
She froze at the words of the older Agreste, felt the concerned look of her beloved on her as he felt her body tense with emotions that tormented her, but her indifference gave a false image of what was happening in her mind, but the sudden silence on her part made the musicians they looked at her anxiously as they didn't know the truth about the family relations of the Bennington siblings and tried not to talk too much about it, because they knew that Julia was a bit irritable when someone mentioned their parents.  
Alexis, you must have come across a narrow ground," Adrien murmured as if absent.  
He remembered well that Julia, as a few of them fat, was not very talkative when they touched on the topic of their families, talked about them or recalled funny stories with their participation only to laugh, she usually sat in silence, they knew she lived together with my brother but she didn't say anything more about relatives. They never insisted that she say something, they only guessed that these memories were difficult for her and discretion was the best solution she could take so as not to suffer more.  
— Forgive me Julia — said Alexis in a slightly contrite voice.  
— Nothing happened," she murmured dispassionately — I don't like talking about family issues — she added, glancing uncertainly at Chester.  
She heard his soft sigh, and in his eyes she saw the undisguised regret and rage. Despite his rather cool relations with his father, he could not forgive him how cruel he dealt with Julia. He could do anything, even divorce their mother so that she could raise her children freely, but forcing her to give her newborn daughter to some place from under the dark star was far too much for him, he was not in a good relationship with John before , but after he discovered his secret and we have their relationship became even more tense. If not for all the events of the past, he could watch his little sister grow and develop. See how awkward he crawls around the room, learning to walk or hear him start to speak. Everything was lost when his father did not show his wife or daughter his heart almost with hatred, he ordered her to get rid of his ex-wife, which was extremely difficult for her. The change in the mother's behavior was noticeable, although he was a child at the time, he saw that something was happening to his mother when he asked, she was smiling artificially and assured that everything was good, it was enough to satisfy his childhood curiosity, only years later he met the cruel a truth that turned out to be more severe than he could have expected.  
He watched as he apologized and walked away slowly. He exchanged worried looks with Mike, who did not hide his worry about his girlfriend's well-being.  
— I'll go talk to her — he whispered to him as soon as he passed by him.  
He broke through the small crowd of guests gathered near the door, carefully looked around the hall, looking for his sister. As he stepped outside, he saw her sitting on a wall, staring deadly at the flower beds formed by the museum.  
— You will tell me why he reacts so emotionally to the memories of his parents, I should piss all this off, and I still have pain in what this bastard did — she glanced at him, and he saw some strange sadness in her eyes.  
He came up to her, sitting on the edge of the stone wall:  
— Baby, I won't give you back my past, but I can change your future — You know the truth about our family, so you react, I would be amazed if you did not feel it in any way, especially the father's vile behavior, but focus on the past, do not run away into the past, because it will lose you — he said in a warm voice — Do not torment the baby not today, not now, not right now. Look what you have achieved. You run your own exhibition of works today, do everything you want and achieve your goals. Remember, I will always stand behind you, no matter what happens, you have your support.  
— I don't know what I would do without you — she finally admitted — You gave me a second life.   
— I'll do more, but now go inside and enjoy it tonight.   
He saw the corner of her mouth rise slightly upward, rising from the rather uncomfortable makeshift seat, before she left, he called out after her:  
— Conquer the world, baby.  
He watched her turn towards him, with a gentle smile on his raspberry lips:  
— I have already conquered — she laughed merrily — And now, although I need my brother too!  
He only shook his head in disbelief, but rose from the wall, moving toward her. Returning to the halls, they heard the sound of loud conversations and praise about herself, and for the first time that evening she felt very proud of herself believing that her works in the future have a chance to gain greater recognition than now. She found friends standing off the beaten track in the company of the Agreste brothers, the sight of Brad and Adrien laughing together was a bit surprising, and at the same time it pleased her so much that, regardless of age, the group they began to form catches joint contact, and before all they find topics to conversations.  
She walked calmly toward them, glanced at Mike, who was looking at her worriedly. She stood at his side, smiling happily, and another worry fell from his heart. He hated seeing the worried or dim Julia, he wanted to remember and see a girl enjoying life, who could not break anything, a girl who, after removing the mask and indifference showed her true face, and he saw in her a crazy personality as in her brother's.  
He grabbed her hand, felt her fingers intertwined, glancing sideways as Katline began to demand her attention. Julia may not have been the soul of the party, but she had a great time with her loved ones, they liked her as an eternally laughing girl who gets into the jokes of others or plays them with the help of others. An extraordinary teenager who stole his heart. He didn't care, not even the age that divided them. Julia was a person who dear to him immensely and he did not want to lose her for anything, and most importantly he wanted their feelings to survive, and their relationship was not just a few years of acquaintance, which after a while they will get bored. He knew one thing, she is the one with whom he wanted to lead his life, go to her side and overcome the hardships of life.  
— Are we leaving, honey? — The girl asked suddenly.  
He looked at her uncertainly and with a slight scare, her eyes expressed concentration, but her face showed a slight tiredness. He was not surprised by her sudden decline. The whole day was a little busy for her and the stress that was eating her disappeared, but she felt more and more the effects of the sleepless night she had behind her.


	60. TOM 2 — TAKEN : 14 — PAINTINGS BY AGRESTE — PART 3

— Are you sure you want to go now? — he was interested because the exhibition was still going on, but he knew that in a few minutes the curator would be forced to lead the visitors out of the museum — Don't you want to wait until the end?  
— No, she talked to the curator and agreed to close the exhibition for me. I'd rather go to bed — she admitted.  
Unexpectedly, a man appeared beside them, handing a huge bouquet of red roses in the hands of teenagers. She looked surprised at the bouquet, her beloved flowers already opened her mouth ready to ask, on what occasion she received this gift, but almost at the same time the man announced that it was a small gift from the museum. She wanted to say thank you, but the young man escaped from her like a ghost who appeared beside her, handing this charming bouquet of red flowers. She applied a bouquet of roses to her cheeks, inhaling the subtle scent of those beautiful plants she loved so much. She liked no flowers as much as the ones she held in her hand, enjoying the beautiful rose scent. Róża showed her, her true face, although she could prick and inflict pain, she was delicate, but not many people could see it in her, not many people showed that she could be fragile. She hated weakness! Even when she had to lie and tell someone that her life was almost perfect when it really hit her head, she wanted them to see in her a girl who could not break, even if she cried at night, would not allow herself to take control again . It can't be destroyed and dug to the bottom.  
— How I love these flowers - she was delighted, smelling the delicate scent of flowers — I don't remember when I got flowers from you recently — she threw out her partner.  
— Because you prefer me to them — he murmured almost in a whisper as he gently pulled the strands of her colorful curls over her shoulder.  
She felt his warm breath, which gently tickled her collarbone as he rested his chin on her shoulder, placing a slight kiss on her cheek. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly when she felt her hand run down her waist, let her feel her fingers tighten on her side after a while, confidently cuddled into his shoulder, resting her head on his shoulder.  
— Are we going to my place? — He asked quietly.  
She murmured something in response. In fact, she was all the same, the only thing she dreamed of was a hot bath and to be able to bury herself under a warm blanket allowing herself to fall asleep to her beloved side. She was glad that she had packed a few of her things at the time, as if she suspected that she would spend the night away from home.  
She felt the chill surrounding her as they stood in the brightly lit driveway. In the silence that surrounded them, they crossed the parking lot to stand by the musician's car. Without a word, she took the passenger seat, placing a bouquet of plants on her thighs. The vibrating phone in her purse made itself felt. She slid out from her slightly ajar clutching her calling smartphone, looking at the display. As she picked up the call, she watched as she entered a low traffic road.  
—Marinette sweetheart, what happened that you call at dawn? — She asked.  
— I wanted to know how the exhibition went, the shelves are ringing Selena is sleeping, otherwise I won't be able to say a word. Adrien just sent me photos of the opening, but I want to hear the answer from you.  
She laughed softly, nodding her words, before she saw her conversation with the baker's daughter prolonged significantly when she did not notice how they covered the next kilometers, and the traffic on the streets was not as heavy as during the day. Shinoda with a slight smile listened to the arguments of his girlfriend, who revived slightly while talking to a friend, and her plan to take a short nap while driving ended when both teenagers began a fairly long conversation.  
— You and gossiping!? — his loud laughter echoed down the narrow corridor — Princess I can't imagine you being fit for people — he said, trying to stop the sudden burst of joy as soon as he saw his girlfriend's angry look.  
— You don't know me yet — Julia said, theatrically flicking her hair backwards — Now, kitty, give me a vase so that these beauties do not get trapped — she murmured, applying beautiful blood-red rose petals to her chest.  
He paused, staring at her enchanted. The sight of her slightly tanned cheeks in red flowers was extremely appealing. Plants that gave the smallest way her appearance and character. The extremely sensitive and delicate soul of this girl meant that everyone could take on her debt, lose her mind for her subtle charms or beauty, which she did not like to display. Naturalness, its beauty could catch the eye. However, each rose has spines and can prick into the blood. Julia was like that. More than once her sharp exchanges ended in purple bruises or blood that enveloped her tanned face, but he loved her that way.  
— Kitty — her prolonged voice snapped him out of sudden nostalgia.  
He sighed with slight dreams, which did not escape his beloved, who gently tilted his head, glancing at him with a flash of that bright look. She slowly put the bouquet of perfectly matched flowers on a nearby cabinet, holding between her shapely fingers, a piece of his leather jacket pulling towards her.  
— I love how you say it — he whispered in a charming voice.  
She laughed softly when she felt his hands on her sides as he discreetly hid his arms under the skin that she threw over her shoulders. She felt like the ruffles of the dress rise gently up, but she did not care. She wanted too much to look at a certain alluring look that had charmed her more than once. He could seduce her in moments she would not expect, she craved those moments more and more, but it was no longer about the moments when she could fall asleep by his side in the evenings, bored with some trashy movie or when fatigue took over her like this night, but it didn't matter to her. She wanted him more and more, but she couldn't say it. She couldn't ask him to spend the night with her. It was finishing her out. It was normal for her to feel physical attraction even after traumatic transitions. It didn't matter to her, or whether it made any sense at all, when her heart was burning with the lust in her. When she was ready to tell him, she was perplexed, which she didn't hate so much. She was a strong girl who managed to deal with her past and could not tell her man that she wanted to make love to him. She behaved like a coward, which she apparently stopped being! She wasn't afraid anymore! She had to stop being afraid and manage from herself the change she needed. Even at the moment when she could almost feel the atmosphere hovering tangibly around them, which was almost electrifying. She won't ask, he won't do anything against her will unless she wants to. She valued it in him, but now she despised it. However, he would not look deep into her soul, he would not see what she was struggling with. Time to end with anxiety! She had to stop it here and now if she was to experience real torture any time one of them wanted the other person. She wanted to moan of helplessness, but she suppressed the nasty feeling that was sitting in her.  
— It means? — She coqueted.  
— Now you are playing a flirt of beauty — he asked, gently taking her chin between his fingers, turning toward himself.  
— So you quickly deciphered me, kitty — she laughed gracefully.  
— stop it! — he said suddenly, after a long moment closing his eyes slowly — Julia if it goes on like this, things will go differently than we planned.  
\- And who said it can't happen?  
She cleverly got out of his embrace, grabbing flowers dumped on the dresser, leaving a slightly perplexed man. He was surprised and slightly amazed at her last words and yes, he knew that Julia had been thinking about their intimate life for a long time, or rather the lack of it, he knew her enough to notice that something was missing. He was even convinced why she didn't touch the subject, although she wanted to, she was afraid to tell him directly, now that he was standing in the middle of the corridor, he was slightly surprised by her suggestion, but rather the subtext that her last words contained. She dared to convey ambiguously what she even demanded and it was not about the fact that he did not want it himself, because he more and more wanted this girl every day, he wanted her, show her what real pleasure looks like, the only thing that held him back was her, her former life, and rather, what happened in it and how it affected the psyche of this young artist, and despite the fact that Julia was a woman who wants to be governed by her own rights, her mental trauma will remain with her for the rest of her life. He tilted his head back slightly, closing his eyes gently. How many times he had to restrain his lusts, when a dense atmosphere hung between them, which begged to kidnap this girl to bed and get rid of those damn clothes, but he knew every time her eyes darkened and, although she did not want to, he saw fear in her. Fear that mixed with her confidence. Now she wanted it too. Sam felt more and more that he could not be indifferent, he wanted to please her, even if she was afraid to sleep with him, he did not have to do it so that he could please her even now. He sighed softly, that night promised to be very lustful.  
He followed her step, grabbing an abandoned bag on the floor, painted with colorful drawings of an unusual girl. He found her sitting on the edge of the kitchenette, gently arranging rose flowers in a glass vase. He saw the crystal water in which the white pearls shimmered, tapping on the sides of the vessel. She didn't even bother, immediately saw him standing in the aisle, carefully moved the vase with a bouquet of plants. He watched her slowly reveal her long strands of hair over her shoulder. The abandoned jacket lay at the end of the shoulder, but he didn't care. He couldn't look away from her when she called him to her. He obediently walked toward her, almost after a moment he sank into her embrace, when he felt her hands under the unbuttoned material of the jacket.  
— You'll fulfill my one thirst today — she murmured as he almost felt her lips, but she didn't allow himself to taste the damn lustful sweetness of her alluring lips.  
— Anything you want, princess — he replied the moment he saw his eyes narrow slightly.  
He laughed inwardly, adored, the way she reacted to his words was so delicious at the time, especially when she was angry with him. He loved her crazy like a teenager who meets his first girlfriend, but the love he had for this young woman was much stronger and lasting. He found after many trials of character and unsuccessful love competitions the girl's life and he did not care that for a good start she could be his sister, as his beloved said. Age is a relative concept, years do not count, man is more important. We can even be friends with people who are older than us or, on the contrary, younger age does not determine our fate, we govern it and it may seem surprising that these were the words of young Bennington, however, the experience of past years has taught her to understand the surrounding I, the world, even if it hurt her and she could not cope with her problems, she went through life, cutting vines in front of her. Nothing binds us, we limit ourselves and this is a problem. It didn't matter to her or to him that they were nine years apart, they loved each other, longed for their happiness and now they wanted, craved and wanted this night to end with moments of elation.  
— I have told you many times — she said, sharper, thrusting one of her long, well—groomed nails into his fist — Stop calling me a princess, kitty, because I will definitely change my mind and instead of dragging a handsome, attractive guy, I will go out and not return - she spun a scrap of his shirt around her finger, which she gently unbuttoned without his knowledge, moving him toward her — And you wouldn't want that?  
He did not speak, did not even know what to say in one moment words ran out. Could he say that he was somehow speechless like that, because seeing his girlfriend as a flirtatious thing was completely new to him and especially in which she almost begged to drag her to the bedroom? It was definitely not Julia, or it was her, but he could never see her seductive side, even if they were together, Julia did not enslave him, he became the lover who followed her. He went crazy for her much earlier, because he loved the girl he saw that November night, when lust became too strong for him and he wanted to know the sweetness of her lips, then he forgot what love failure meant. He gave no hope, because he knew that Julia could and was not indifferent to him, she could not understand how she felt about him. He was with her regardless of the situation, he could not pay attention to another, when he had such an unusual girl with him. She herself did not seem too overwhelmed that over time their behavior contradicted the healthy norm of friendly relations, because which normal pair of buddies wants each other, they still do not have enough of their company, and most importantly they do not kiss when the opportunity arises. Already then he could see that the relationship between him and his friend were far from normal, but if he was honest, he didn't care. He fucked it because he loved her. Finally, after years of looking for the one and trying to understand again what love, trust and care are. He wanted to see her smile every day, make her happy, and wanted her to know that she had someone who cares about her. She understood this on that memorable evening, but he still had to wait for her to admit it to him, but then another success was ahead of him, because she disappeared from his life, leaving no trace of what she had after her was the sketchbook she had left with him . She left their lives and he slowly lost the hope that they would regain her again, but there is justice in this world, when she returned to them, grew weak, emaciated and tired, nothing mattered then that he could see her again and finally heard what he wanted .  
— I did not know you from this side of beauty, the feisty in your installment is charming — he laughed softly, gently leaning over her.  
She snarled almost furiously at how much she hated, how much he complimented her, and especially as she called it too sweet, Julia was different from other girls, she didn't like what he called her princess, when one day he called her a different one for her too luscious compliment, broke it with the pillow on which it lay. This girl has a temperament and extraordinary charisma. Definitely his beloved has the character of a cat in human skin.  
He could not be indifferent any longer, this word game lasted far too long. Almost after a moment, he sank into the sweetness of her damn tempting lips, heard her soft moaning, which even more excited him this woman and she was for him like her kind of aphrodisiac. She wasn't even knowingly tempting to be a fool if he didn't see it.  
She held her breath the moment she felt his hot lips as she loved his kisses. She couldn't resist them, and when the atmosphere thickened with desire, she wanted something more, but she was still afraid of getting close, she couldn't bear herself at one moment, because she knew that she would have to stop it at some point, everyone has their fears , but she can also fight with fear and anxiety, if she wants something badly, she wanted him! She wanted Mike, but... That's where the problem arises in an instant, she cursed all her past because she couldn't get rid of her completely. She didn't care now. She only wanted this moment and night. With great difficulty she managed to get away from him, he pulled away, she saw in his eyes dissatisfaction, but before he could speak, she gently ran over him with a fingertip to his lips.  
— Listen to me now — she said still with a throat — I know what you want and I want it too, but I can't give myself entirely to you— I know you will understand me, so I ask you one thing: I don't want you to be disappointed.  
She heard his soft sigh, but did not even look down, did not see in his eyes disappointment, let her love the least anger for him, he could understand it, even though he was still unaware of the truth that happened many years ago. This guy was her real treasure, after years of setbacks she managed to rearrange her heart.  
— My dear Julia, my joy will be to make you happy, I don't expect anything in return but your fulfillment.  
— You bore Shinoda — she said suddenly.  
He laughed, this girl is definitely unique in her own way, every day she falls in love with her again and again. With a confident move, she pushed him away, neatly jumped off the counter and walked firmly towards the entrance from the kitchen, then throwing her travel bag on her shoulder.  
— And where are you going — he caught her just as she crossed the threshold of the living room.  
She tilted her head slightly, with a slight smile.  
— I'm going to freshen up handsome, then I'll be all yours — she laughed.  
She broke free from his embrace and almost ran across the huge living room. He returned to the kitchen for a moment, took a vase of flowers from the plate, crossed the threshold of the living room, looked at the open balcony door. He set the glass on the table, heading for the window.  
She entered the huge bedroom, her shoulder bag still on her shoulder. All she wanted now was a quiet evening in her boyfriend's arms, it was definitely what she wanted. Entering the bathroom, she closed the door behind her, slipping a bag of clothes or cosmetics from her shoulder, abandoned her on one of the cabinets, taking off her dress in a hurry, which she already had enough of. Szpilek got rid of it a long time ago, which made her feel amazing relief. Standing in front of a fairly large mirror in the same underwear, she smiled warmly, unbuttoning the bag, finding a beautician in it. It did not take her long to find the make—up removal milk. In fact, she did not take too much cosmetics with her, because her and she did not like Mike when she was too beautiful. He loved naturalness in her, if she had to paint herself, he always loved, as she emphasized her shapely lips, some dark red colors. She washed the rest of her makeup off her body, then removed her slim body from her shapely body.  
She shuddered after a moment when she stood under the shower of many jets. She leaned against the shower wall, remembering that day. The first opening of her work turned out to be more fruitful, as if she had expected it, all the stress escaped from her the moment she crossed the museum threshold. She decided then what would be, it would be. He will be criticized, he will accept it, he will be praised, he will be happy. The future is a huge unknown, but we cannot see it, we can only build it and try to make it as good as possible. The warmth of the water falling on her made her subconscious sleep slightly awake. With a soft sigh, she reached for the shampoo. Completely absorbed in the hot bath, she did not notice the passing time, when the hands of all clocks showed the first seconds of the approaching Sunday.  
Wrapped in a warm towel, she leaned on the edge of the sink, looking intently at her slightly red eyes. She moaned at the signs of her lack of sleep. She felt that the morning would be extremely difficult for her to get up, but she did not worry too much about it, after all she had a free day, the first calm for many weeks. She removed the towel from her hair, grabbing the dryer, then getting rid of the soaked material.  
After a few minutes she looked at her mirror reflection, tied slightly damp hair braided in a long braid, a white nightgown wrapped her tanned arms. She didn't look bad except for slightly bloodshot eyes, but all that could be done was a good night's sleep. She opened the door as she crossed the bathroom threshold to stand in a room in the dim darkness. The brilliance of the lights on one of the cupboards broke the darkness around. Her gaze stopped at Mike. He was lying comfortably on the bed, looking carefully, something in his tablet, which did not escape his rather skimpy outfit, except for the boxers he was not wearing. He looked at him for a long moment, a shadow of a smile loomed over her voluptuous lips, she did not hide the sight, she definitely liked it.  
— Beautiful, do you know how much you have been waiting for you? — He asked when he saw her in the transition in a flimsy nightgown.  
— Don't overdo it, I haven't been there for fifteen minutes — she saw his eloquent gaze fixed on the electronic watch on the cabinet.  
She followed his gaze, glaring at the numbers that showed a few minutes past midnight, smiled innocently when she saw his gaze.  
— Good, I admit — she raised her hands in a defensive gesture.  
She walked confidently to the bed, carefully climbed up on it and almost on her knees came to her beloved one, as soon as he saw her, he raised slightly on the pillows, abandoning one of the electronic toys on the cabinet. He saw her rise above him, her raspberry lips still wandering the characteristic smile she often offered him when she pretended she had done nothing. The innocent's face definitely came out.  
— I lost my sense of time — she finally admitted — You won't tell me you lost your urge?  
— Honey, this question was out of place, I am about to give pleasure to my princess.  
He almost laughed when she frowned angrily. She shouted belligerently:  
— That means Shinoda's war — she said louder.  
Before he could do anything or say anything, he got up and threw her off. However, before she was outraged, he pushed her onto comfortable cushions, finding herself in the pose Julia had not long ago presented. He saw her clench her tempting lips in a narrow line, folding her arms together so that the nightgown gently shifted and saw her shapely breasts.  
— You really beautiful want to argue now? — He asked when his hand was on her hip.  
— Should I let this pass you by? — she asked, but her attitude changed so dramatically that it was impossible to keep up with her at the moment — Fuck it, I will take revenge tomorrow now I have more interesting classes.  
She pulled him firmly toward her, kissing her lips with great greed, he had the impression that she would lose her head because of this girl. He sighed with delight in her hot and lustful lips as he moved his hand up, did not stop him, did not even try, when he led his hand to the edge of her underwear, he only felt her raise her leg gently, and he was more and more amazed at her boldness, she didn't even start, when he gently ran his fingers over her femininity still hidden by the thin material of the underwear, he only saw her smiling encouragingly as his kisses descended on her exposed collarbone. She purred delightfully as he gently rolled his thumb in a circle on her hill. She moaned almost frustrated as he gently pushed aside the material of her light figs so that after a moment his hand would be on her hip again. She fumbled displeased, which was really delightful when she looked at him with anger in her eyes, she was completely unaware of how gently he pulled the shoulder strap of her white shirt, revealing one of her breasts.  
— And apparently you wanted ... - she did not finish the moment she felt his nimble fingers on her bust.  
A murmur of delight flashed through her slightly parted lips, ran his thumb over her breast, almost making her tremble. She was breathing with difficulty, at once she stopped understanding what it means to breathe, the moment his mouth was found on her breasts, she clutched her hands tightly on the bedclothes, and she could only look at him from above and feel, feel pleasure from everyone his kiss, gesture. She bit her cheek almost to the blood when she felt her tongue roll over her already sensitive nipple, screamed unexpectedly as he clenched his teeth on her nipple, gently pulling on him, but after a while he gave her a tender kiss.  
— Please, do it again, be a little gentler — she moaned softly, clenching her fingers even more at the edge of the bedding.  
He fulfilled her order with pleasure, not ignoring his hot caresses of her other breast. However, after a while he began to go down his lips down her body. He stopped, however, for a moment, caught on the edge of her white figs, which she was wearing.  
He looked at her for a moment, saw how captivated he looked at him, at his every move, the eyes that always took on the colors of the cleanest ocean, now they became brighter, and he could not pass by indifferently, he loved the crystal-clear look of her beautiful eyes. However, he no longer intended to keep her uncertain about his actions. He gently grabbed the edge of her rather flimsy underwear she was wearing, getting rid of her. She only smiled when he opened her thighs almost at the same moment. He leaned over her, carefully watching her eyes glistening in the light of the lamp:  
— You will soon forget about revenge — he laughed at the memory of their recent exchange and before she could speak, he kissed her one last time.  
He settled comfortably between her legs, she looked at him before she could feel his lips that clung to her femininity, she shuddered, feeling his slow movements, his tongue clutched her clitoris, but before she could think of anything, he burst inside her and she she almost screamed when he touched the plexus of her nerves. He teased her, giving her a sudden pleasure that began to overpower her, but his movements were not meant to quickly bring her pleasure, but she felt her body envelop the first wave of ecstasy, but did not completely overpower her and it was so frustrating, however Michael he did not intend to interrupt when intoxicated, he moved his hips restlessly. She felt as if he pinned her to the mattress with one movement, stopping her, but she could not bear this sweet torture that he founded her. He pulled his tongue last at the crown of her nerves and came with a loud shout of his name.  
He rose up, but released her from his firm grip. He pulled up towards her, a passionate kiss on her lips, which slightly distracted her, absorbed in the sweetness of his lips, which had brought her pleasure so long ago. She could only feel him sliding along the entire length of her labia, and he felt her excited more and more, he smiled half-wired as he gently opened it, almost at the same time entering her.  
— Mike... — she moaned as he went deeper into her.  
It irritated her entrance, to almost at the same time, make circles inside her, giving her pleasure. He saw how gently, she leaned back, unable to bear the growing desire in her. He came out of it gently, and after a while slip into it again, the delight he gave her gave her the impression that for a moment she was flooded with ecstasy just like moments ago, when his tongue drove her crazy, but he definitely preferred to play with her even more, to play with him almost drove her crazy when he came out of her unexpectedly, and after a while came back with doubled strength. She jumped up suddenly, breathing loudly on her hands, his loud laughter reached her as he stole her quick kiss, and she had more and more difficulty catching air. She fell on the bedclothes the moment she returned to her almost slow movements, she knew that she could no longer bear it if she played with her, she was on the verge of pleasure and Mike was apparently waiting for it, because, to strengthen her experience violently from her he left and she came almost screaming.  
She dropped down forcelessly onto the cold sheets, looking at him as he leaned over her, a sly smile on his lips, but she didn't care too much, trying to control her spasmodic breath.  
— I hope you will give up revenge — he laughed softly.  
She rolled his eyes at his words, but she still had to admit that she had to let him go after he had driven her almost crazy:  
— I'll think about it — she said, suppressing the growing laughter when she saw his angry look — Okay, I'll just let you go this evening — Other times you will regret it! — she threatened — Why didn't I let you get more? — She said as he sank into the pillow next to her.  
He only looked at her, seeing her almost cheerful eyes, felt happy that he could give her that little pleasure. He could feel him cuddling up to him, not even hesitating to grab his shirt and put it on him it was on his hand, and she didn't even feel the need to cover herself. She put her hand on his chest, looking at him with a smile.  
— Satisfied? — He asked.  
— You don't know how much — she said quietly — Damn, I could have let you right away...  
— Time will come, sweetheart, don't be in a hurry.  
How could she not love him in such a situation? She rose, stealing his kiss, then turned to her back, placing her head on his chest. He moved the cape to him, covering them, did not even notice when the tired girl sailed to his land with a smile.  
— I love you — he whispered softly, looking at her blissful face.


	61. TOM 2 — TAKEN: 15 — BECAME THE KILLER OF MY STORY

She was sitting at the edge of the stairs that led to the upper floor of the villa, so she chose an apparently uncomfortable place to rest. She didn't think anything extraordinary about it, sometimes, for lack of any activities, she sat on the steps of the apartment, bored playing with her little friend. Today, however, she was staring emotionlessly at the screen of her phone, browsing one of the social networks without much interest, she heard the buzz of quite loud conversations of her friends, she did not even notice what they were discussing so fiercely. She completely understood nothing of their words, but she herself did not pay attention to it. However, not every member of the music group was interested in this lively talk. Michael, who sat next to her a few moments ago, was clearly weary and a bit lethargic, he took advantage of the situation that she had practically not moved, resting her head on her shoulder, she was stealthily staring at his half-closed eyes and for a moment she had the impression that he had fallen asleep as if too comfortable a position was not too much of an obstacle for him. However, she was not surprised. She had heard many times, from the band's stories, how they had to sleep a few hours before the concert in the cramped beds of a tourist bus or during a flight to a foreign continent, so she would not be surprised if he would also now rush to the world of your dreams.  
She heard his rather calm breathing and began to wonder if her passes were real. She tilted her head slightly, looking at her beloved, she found that he had indeed lost consciousness a long time ago, probably dreaming about the desires hidden in his mind. She didn't even dare to move, she didn't want to be brought to the ground in such a brutal way.  
— He fell asleep?  
She raised her head slightly, pressing the phone lock screen with her thumb, saw David standing over her, staring at his blissfully asleep colleague. He held his gaze for a longer time at the girl accompanying him, the corner of her mouth slightly up as she transferred her muted smartphone to her other hand.  
— Yes — she replied softly.  
She felt his suspicious eyes on himself, as if he did not quite believe her words, he raised his eyebrows in amazement because it seemed to him very suspiciously that his friend did not want to admit that she spent another evening with Michael, but that would be a lie . A lie that did not match with her earlier plans for the night out. Yes, they got used to them that often when they called or wrote, they were with each other, but this time she had not seen her beloved since her debut vernissage, which, to her general surprise, was accepted in the artistic circle, and she could see a small mention of exhibitions of her works and opinions, which said she would be an excellent artist in the future. She was flattered by these words, because to hear such compliments from critics or experts in works was a great honor, but she did not rest on her laurels. Despite the fact that she had been appreciated to some extent, she knew that she had the power to introduce even greater changes in her works and achieve the dream perfection that she was still striving for. She was very ambitious and knew that she could do a lot and that this was not the end of her skills that she could acquire, so she kept trying something new, or more and more often experimenting not only in painting techniques, but also in unusual combinations with things that would take on a different meaning . Although the last days were extremely labor-intensive for her, she might have forgotten for a while about regular meetings with her boyfriend. She knew Shinoda was spending many hours in the studio lately, he was focusing on working on the album and the soon to be released for clubbers, so they were both busy with their own affairs to arrange their next meetings in peace.  
In recent days she had focused on looking for a new apartment, maybe Chester did not even dare to throw her out, she decided that they both needed privacy. She was now an adult and no longer wanted to be a burden to her brother if she could support herself. Resourcefulness, which she had acquired while living in Phoenix, allowed her only to spread her wings. She was constantly looking for her own apartment, she wanted to find a place that would be perfect for her, but there was always something wrong, or she was not satisfied with the rental price, or eventually the apartment turned out to be in terrible condition. She also had to consider keeping animals. She wasn't going to leave Junk, she was too attached to her.  
She felt more and more frustrated as she couldn't find anything that might interest her. She didn't know where she was making the mistake, but she had to find something. She did not finish the search until late in the evening, instead of rest after a hard day, she flew to meet her friends. She spent practically all nights there, not sleeping any hour, so for the last few days coffee became her best friend.  
Yes, maybe there were evenings that she spent at her beloved's and there were situations when they did not even dare to go to sleep, spending many hours with them under the cover of night, but today she was not the cause of his little indisposition. She didn't even contribute a hand to it. She spent the night away from home tonight, away from her boyfriend or brother, she didn't even dare to tell anyone where she was going. She did not hide anything terrible, but she did not want to tell friends or relatives about her little games. She did not know how they would react if they found out that, under the cover of night, she was meeting a friend who teaches her to ride a two-wheeler, yes, she was enrolled in a course that she did not tell anyone about, but she wanted to master motorbike riding as soon as possible so that he continued to participate in competitions organized by Derek. She was extremely determined to be prepared enough to receive a green driving light from him, but she knew that without a driving license she would not do anything, so she spent many hours with the instructor to get the necessary documents as soon as possible.  
— I was supposed to ask you about it, the young girl — she saw her brother appear behind Phoenix's shoulder — I don't see you, all day where are you?  
She sighed heavily, she understood his behavior especially after her action at the beginning of summer vacation, but she began to tire of these questions. She did not complain, but it was somewhat inconvenient, especially as she was planning to move to her own apartment. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the phone as she felt it slip between her hands.  
— I told you that I was looking for an apartment - she said, looking at the vocalist chatting behind her friend's shoulder — I will not sit on your head forever — she added, gently lifting the corner of her mouth up.  
— You don't bother me at all, I already told you. You can stay as long as you like, he said firmly.  
— I know, but it doesn't change the fact that he wants to become independent — she replied calmly.  
She heard him sigh softly. She was not surprised by his behavior, he told her many times that thanks to her he did not feel bored in his own home, having only a golden retriver as a companion, many times she even suggested to him that he should finally find someone, as she managed to find out, he hadn't dated a woman in two years. However, he remained passive, she had the impression that it was not specifically about searching for a particular lady of his heart, but about his work. He was more worried that his chosen one would not endure his constant stay in the studio recording albums and many months of traveling away from home. She, despite having a relationship with Mike, was aware that the day would finally come when they would produce another album and the promotion time would come, where they would go out touring the world, and she would stay in the country, away from her beloved. She was prepared for it, because she knew what the work of a stage artist was related to, she accepted it and did not intend to reproach it. She was convinced that it was her brother that worried the most, that she would not find a girl so understanding that she would reconcile her relationship with her partners' trips abroad.  
— I will suggest you again. Get yourself a girlfriend, she said, looking at his face.  
— I wonder who wants me — he replied jokingly — I'm neither pretty nor handsome.  
She had to admit that the humor and distance he had towards himself was extremely contagious, more than once she laughed at herself, it was mainly thanks to Chester that she regained respect for herself and she was able to joke about her unfortunate events or she was just distant from her appearance, thought that beauty would pass away, wisdom would remain.  
— Ask the girls who hang your photos in their rooms, maybe they will tell you if your face is crooked or beautiful — she laughed.  
— You don't scare me girl!  
— Brother, you know, I thought that you saw girls at concerts, devouring you with their eyes, sometimes I wonder what they see in you—she joked, and her lips twisted in a rather mean smile — You're ugly — she continued, and to her ears came the muffled laughter of friends — You're not handsome at all — she enumerated, carefully putting the phone down on one of the steps — Your face was not sculpted by Michelangelo, which I cannot say about Mike, I always found him the more handsome in your band.  
She glanced surreptitiously at the musician standing in front of her, his hands crossed over his chest, instead of the anger or frustration she often saw with their word pushers, she only knew his indulgent smirk, which completely upset her, but did not let herself recognize it. She thought she was going to bite back, but he stared at her unmoved as he surreptitiously glanced at his friend. She followed his gaze and saw Michael wake up. He was looking at her with a slight smirk that made her whimper under her breath.  
— I dug myself in — she said suddenly.  
She rose slightly on her hands, rising up from the uncomfortable stairs. She grabbed the phone, discarded on the dark wood, sliding it into the pocket of her sweatshirt. She stepped confidently past Dave and Chester, climbing up the landing that led to the kitchen.  
— I understand that you have had a crush on me before — came her lover's voice from the living room.  
— To fall in love with someone I was never meant to meet is really childish behavior," she snorted softly.  
She stood in front of the counter, grabbing the electric kettle. Moving it under running water, she poured the right amount over hot tea and put it on the heater. She leaned against the kitchenette, wrapping herself in a warmer sweatshirt. She heard the sound of the downpour outside, interrupted by another thunder or lightning, made her willingly jump into warm clothes, which in recent days became the basis, when the weather was not favorable for spending time outside, and burying herself under a warm blanket in a cup of hot drink. She watched as Michael stood in the doorway, as if waiting for some deeper explanation, which really amused her.  
— So, have you ever loved me before?  
She could see him approaching her, the corner of her mouth curving upward as he heard his questions, forcing herself not to burst out laughing because, in fact, the question seemed so damn irrational to her that she couldn't hide her amusement that was hidden behind her closed mouth. She put a hand to her mouth, suppressing a burst of joy as she felt his hands slide slightly over her waist. He fell asleep his fingers on her hips, staring at her with his intense gaze.  
Slowly she moved her hand away from her lips, wanting to draw a little more air to control the laughter dormant in her chest for a moment.  
— You think that I fell in love with you as an unreasonable teenager, who all she had in mind was going to forts after school — she said, resting her hands on his arms around her body — Kitten you know well what an imprudent person I was then. I thought I had found the perfect one, I wouldn't even have thought of falling in love with someone I respect and admire.  
— Motherfucker done — he growled furiously.  
She sighed softly, she knew well how Mike reacts to the mention of her ex. She herself did not feel well when she had to talk about him, he caused her so many worries and troubles, driving her life into a streak, making her unable to deal with it over time, that she would not count whenever she mocked him or spared him calumny about him. A sudden smile left her mouth, which she didn't even try to hide. She pressed against him, pressing her cheek against his cool collarbone. Even though they tried to avoid topics about their former partners in their conversations, they were sometimes forced to do so. They hated the tense atmosphere between them. She heard the soft sound of the kettle shutting down, which made her rest her chin on his shoulder as she surreptitiously gazed at the band members chatting in the living room. She didn't miss the smile on Brad's lips as he saw them in his embrace. Once arguing with a man, he admitted to her that he had never been positive about his best friend's relationship with his ex-wife, I had a great dislike for her, and Taylor could only dream of his respect. Despite the fact that he and his friend and his ex-wife were a pack of high school buddies, he did not support their deeper acquaintance. From the beginning, he believed that this woman was not suitable candidates to tie her ways with Shinoda, she was a person who was completely at odds with him, both in terms of personality or character and the interests they could share. She was completely irresponsible, which contradicted the conscience of the musician. He always tried to be reasonable, despite the fact that I love to play pranks or play a prankster, he was able to think soberly and draw conclusions from serious situations. They got married when they were still teenagers, believing that they were written for each other, unfortunately later events showed that this love was never meant to exist. He could now boldly say that from the moments his closest friend had gotten into the relationship with young Bennington, he had been truly happy in the relationship he had always wanted, even the difference between their years was irrelevant, knowing that he had loved a girl who was equally to him. dear, what is she to him. They trusted each other immensely, and that was the basis of their relationship. They trusted each other when they needed each other the most, even with their relatives among them, they became one at the beginning of their relationship.  
She slowly moved away from his hot body, stole a gentle kiss on his lips, she saw that he wanted something more, but she successfully escaped from his embrace, going to one of the cupboards. She took a mug from the inside of one of the deep cupboards, placing it carefully on the bright countertop of the kitchenette. Suddenly she heard a loud laugh from a nearby room, she wasn't even interested in what amused the men so much. Pouring over her beloved black essence, she felt this familiar aroma filling her nostrils. She loved this rather strong, yet subtle aroma of tree leaves, twisted into small bags.  
She put down the kettle of steaming water, grabbing a bright vessel filled with an aromatic drink, she definitely needed it when she took her first sip of the brew, it may seem strange, but despite the fact that she loved the hot California air, she liked to sit under a warm down sometimes on a cool rainy day. blanket with a cup of aromatic cocoa, learning about the fate of literary heroes. She sighed softly, dreamily, wrapped in the warmth of a rather thick sweatshirt, which she threw over her shoulders, she liked wearing several sizes of oversized clothes. She stopped stealing any things from her brother's wardrobe, for some time she started looking at the men's section while shopping and started looking for more interesting shirts or even blouses, nobody looked at her critically or with crooked glances. Americans were one of those people who weren't very interested in what someone wore, didn't judge themselves at first impression, which she really appreciated.  
She walked slowly to the living room, stood on the threshold of the door, looking at the discussing musicians, absorbed in the conversation, they did not notice her standing on the platform, staring at the huge TV screen. She focused her eyes on a slightly older journalist who was reviewing the latest events in the country, watched the photo appear on the monitor, and she froze in mid-step. Her fingers tightened around the rim of the vessel as she scanned the inscription at the bottom of the matrix: New Evelyn Lison Crime Found, as she heard Chester's slightly worried voice through a haze:  
—Young is all right? — He asked concerned.  
He saw how the face of the young woman suddenly turned pale, the blue of her eyes became motionless, turning a color of dark sapphire, such a shade was not often seen in her, but he never heralded anything good. She shook off the depths of her melancholy as she put the pot of infusion on a nearby chest of drawers.  
Turn it up! She ordered.  
She jumped gracefully over the back of the soft sofa, sitting between her friends, she felt their incomprehensible gaze at her, but they did not even dare to speak as she focused on the footage. She listened attentively to the reporter who delved into the death of a high school student whose case was still pending. Police officers still could not find the perpetrator of this cruel crime that all Phoenix was talking about, they lived blissfully ignorant of who had contributed to the death of a teenager, whose life was no different, she did not differ from her peers, she had many acquaintances and devoted friends, and parents who love her above all else, who were willing to sacrifice everything for her, but a cruel fate decided to take their only child away from them. She could laugh out loud when she heard mention of this crime, when she learned that the prosecution had changed the classification of the act to non-willful manslaughter. The enormous desire to experience something was enormous, she wanted to make herself cry, cruel pain, just to forget the voice of the announcer who announced this news, she spat in her face every time she had to look at herself in the mirror and into her aching mind memories flooded in, a girl limping on the cold concrete, lying in a pool of her own grievances. More than once she woke up screaming when a bloody knife hilt and a male smile full of falsehood appeared before her eyes. An eyewitness of these events, who could lead the justice authorities to the real murderer of the sixteen—year—old girl, but he remained silent. He fell silent as Evelyn Lison's heart stopped forever, leaving behind the elusive criminal and the only person who could avenge her death by putting the guilty person behind bars. Why didn't he do it then? The answer was simple enough! Julia Bennington was living in fear for her own life when her worst nightmare began to plague her again.  
— The policemen managed to find the farewell letter of the murdered at the crime scene — explained the young journalist, holding the microphone to his mouth, amplifying his voice through an electronic loudspeaker — One of the fragments that the girl voluntarily took her own life was revealed.  
She lost interest in further material or in the reporter's monologue, his statement was suddenly interrupted by an interview with the chief of the Arozinskaya police, who focused on the progress of the investigation, but only she knew that they had not made any discoveries that could bring relief to the murdered family, so that they would know that the perpetrator of their daughter's murder is rotting behind bars in federal arrest, but this will not soothe their pain after losing their only child, they will never forget that they had to say goodbye to their daughter, a girl who was still a child.  
— I can only congratulate him on his genius, you fucking motherfucker — she snapped furiously — He achieved what he wanted — she added vengefully.  
Resignedly, she fell on the soft cushions of the light-colored sofa, with a soft sigh, she rested her face on the shoulder bent on the knee, propping her head on it, her heart beating in her chest, she stared at the bowl standing on the nearby table. Sweet treats hidden under colorful packages made you want to grab them and eat them, but at the very thought she felt a cruel nausea, the torso she had hoped did not tire her. Maybe she had no problems with eating, some memories made her unable to control her body, not controlling herself, she could only wait until the moments of torment passed and she regained control over herself. Strange as it may seem, no one knew a certain sad story from her short life. She did not complain because she did not know how to talk about it, at the same time she did not want to reveal the truth that should have seen the light of day long ago, but something stopped her from revealing to someone the events of Evelyn Lison's death.  
— Julia, what are you talking about? — He was concerned.  
She saw the fear in his eyes as she stared at him with a blank stare, the impassivity that wrapped her face was terrifying, which made friends a little embarrassed, but they did not dare to speak, they found out more than once that you would get something out of a teenager , it fails and is a huge disaster. She was never very talkative about her former life, they respected her privacy, but on certain occasions her silence made them a little embarrassed.  
— No point hiding it any longer — she sighed softly.  
Although previously she was convinced that she would deal with her problems or troubles, now she began to lose faith in it. She was not steadfast, as every human had weaknesses and moments of doubts did not always cope with the path marked by fate, now she was convinced more and more that living with the stigma of secrets causes her a huge problem. She was fed up with constantly leading her friends by the nose and forcing them to believe somewhat deceptive words. Whenever they showed their support, she wanted to choke out a little bit of self-denial in order to finally reveal what she had been struggling with all these years of living alone.  
— You always wanted to see who the girl who appeared in your life is, but I did not have the courage to even tell you the truth under what circumstances I grew up. The comments or opinions of my guardians and the headmistress of the orphanage have a grain of truth in them, but my careless behavior has had another bottom, which has not yet been examined by anyone, except for one trusted person — she lifted her gaze a bit proudly, feeling the musicians' gaze on her — You will know the truth, why in the last weeks of my high school studies I acted like a bloody oversensitive teenager who is afraid of a slight rustling, I have reasons to feel anxious, concerned about my own life.  
— What were you trying to say that the opinions about you were so unflattering — the singer said.  
She rose from the comfortable seat, taking a few steps forward, standing in front of the burning fireplace, she stared at the fire bursting in it. Colorful tongues of fire enveloped the hearth, under which two bitches were basked in the company of a Siberian husky.  
— Chester, you probably did not think that I enjoyed living in this place —she said calmly — Yes, our father made sure that I stayed in the orphanage, but I am quite convinced that the reputation of the worst orphanage in the city made him happy, that he can give back there a bastard who would never be born.  
She knew perfectly well how her father treated her, she had no pleasure to see him in him anymore and their meetings did not pass in a peaceful atmosphere, rather the air was so saturated with both of them hatred that one could grab a blade and cut her. She had heard many times that she should never have a birthday, that if he had the opportunity instead of going to orphanage, he would kill her and abandon the newborn, on some public road it would decompose there, yes, maybe earlier it made her upset, but with time she remained passive to it and John's biting remarks didn't matter to her. She stopped treating him like her father because he never really was. She considered him a complete bastard who was just a sperm donor.  
— Let's be honest with each other, brother — she broke the silence around her, turning to him again — He never wanted me, he only wanted to get rid of me, for him the best solution was if she died on the door of that tenement house and he did not feel guilty for killing his own child. I can tell you that I would not have bothered to dishonor my name, if only she had not found out about Paula. This is no longer called favoritism, but outright insult.  
— You perfectly know my opinion...  
— Chester, you couldn't, you did nothing, you were a child, when I was born you didn't even know that your mother was pregnant. We both know you blame my father for my departure as much as I do, but stop taking the blame for my wrongs. All I can do is thank you for not ignoring my mother and finding me. For the rest of my life, I will be grateful to you for helping me.  
She saw him sigh a little resignedly, admitting she was right. Only John led to the breakdown of this family, despite the efforts of their mother, this house was never the same again.  
— But what about these opinions? — Joe interrupted, increasingly intrigued.  
Yes, when they got to know their friend's plans, who after many weeks told them his secrets with his family and the possibility of finding his missing sister, they supported him in this decision, but Chester never told them more than he had to, he wanted to prepare everything and be sure that the girl from Phoenix it is indeed his little sister.  
— I can introduce you to a few of them, but it does not make the slightest sense — the teenager interjected, before the singer could answer anything — In a word, I was the worst kid in the house — she muttered at the mere mention of this place as an apartment where she was supposed to find family warmth — It was a lot of this, starting with quarrels with my roommate, to drinking with other kids, ending with escapes from an orphanage. Yes, I don't deny that I wasn't an angel and got into these bloody fights, but I've never hit anyone except Lisa and her goddamn friends. In time, they called me the Mutineer.  
—Why?  
— I ignored all the rules prevailing there, I did not listen to anyone, I gave myself to my guardians and the headmistress. They considered me an uncouth child they could not raise. The truth was different, they didn't know how to take care of us, because what can you call sexual harassment of one of the pupils, she sneered.  
She was silent for a moment, uncertainly looking into her brother's eyes. She did not have the courage to tell anyone about it, not to her relatives, especially older Bennington, she knew perfectly well that he had gone through a similar hell in his childhood, but she never touched on the topic of sexual abuse, they both did not want to go back to these memories, so they focused on others aspects of your former life.  
— How long did it take? He asked suddenly, rising from the comfortable seat.  
— It doesn't matter, I got over it — she said evasively.  
She hadn't even realized when he stood in front of her, forced her by persuasion, and she looked at him, which she did with reluctance. Ripping her always relentless teenager failed her this time.  
— Over ten years — she choked out with a somewhat shrill voice — I freed myself from it when you took me away from there.  
— Why didn't you tell me before?  
There was no reproach or resentment in his voice, only what she could feel was the concern he was guided by, they stood in the center of the living room among the worried looks of their friends, not knowing how it would end.  
— You know perfectly well how a man feels ashamed and embarrassed — she said even more quietly — I was afraid — she admitted finally.  
She heard his soft sigh as if he understood her intentions. She didn't want any weak attempts at comforting or mock concern, and her brother knew it clearly because he didn't even try to make those attempts, he understood her perfectly and wasn't even going to judge her. But what surprised him most was that his sister was calm, she didn't cry, she didn't even feel sad. She stood in front of him expressionlessly, staring into his eyes.  
— I know you won't be proud of what you hear now — she continued, looking at her brother towering over her.  
For a moment they forgot about the band's presence, they talked freely, losing their awareness of the company of the other musicians, who did not even try to interrupt them, they listened to this exchange with concentration and undisguised surprise.  
— You were on drugs.  
She heard his soft sigh, as if he was not delighted with it, but what was she supposed to be proud of when, for a moment, oblivion falls into this damn muck that draws you easily and won't let you go when you really want it. She somehow managed to overcome her addiction alone, although many fail, she had tremendous power of constipation and fear of the events that forced her to quit those damn drugs.  
— Yes — she admitted, somewhat apologetically — I didn't want anyone to know that I was a drug addict, so I was silent — I didn't talk about it because I wasn't proud of it, I threw it to hell, but I will always have a sticky note with these idiotic words on it.  
— How long have you been in this? — She heard Mike's soft voice nearby.  
She was afraid to look at him, she was afraid she would see disappointment in his gaze or a desire to destroy what they had in common. But she summoned her courage and looked at him over her brother's shoulder.  
— I started taking a few months before Evelyn died, it was the time I started dating this bastard — she continued. Kent deprived me of my will to live, he had something about him that made me want the day to end as soon as possible. I realized over time that his ego was too high as he started to raise his hand against me.  
She was glad that the team listened to her monologue intently, despite the fact that they wanted to ask so much, they did not dare to interrupt her when she mentioned her unsuccessful relationship with her ex-partner, it made no sense to hide her behavior at the end of high school, she told them the truth that he only knew Mike and Anthony. They did not hide their rage when they found out about the threats of this bastard, pouring insults and revenge at him.  
— But what about that girl Evelyn — Shinoda suddenly asked as she sat next to him.  
— Evelyn was my predecessor, as if she were Clark's ex. She dumped him like me — she explained after a long moment of reflection — She found love in the arms of another boy, it made my ex go mad. He brought her to an abandoned factory where I often went with him. I was with him then, completely unaware of what he was going to do. He did not initiate me, but he did his thing — she paused for a moment, wanting to take control of the dormant heart in her chest — He made me sit quietly, locked me in some office, which was located right next to the room where he was planning her murder. I wasn't even curious about what he wanted to do, I was furious with him that he had deprived me of my freedom, only the screams of this girl made me look through the glass in the door. I froze as I saw what was happening there. Evelyn was lying on the ground in a pool of blood with her throat almost cut, she was screaming and begging him to stop hurting her, but he fell into a rage, stabbed her wherever she could, I can't count how many wounds she received. I could only watch her die when he cut her throat. When he did what he intended, he came back for me, I was so shocked that I didn't even squeal when he told me to keep it to myself. He effectively scared me that if he sent the police on him, I would end up like her. Nobody knows this story but you.  
— Why don't you go straight to it — Farrell interrupted suddenly.  
— Dave, you still don't understand. Clark isn't just a boy with a hurt ego, he's really dangerous.  
— What do you mean?  
Before she could speak, she looked at Mike, who gripped her hand, he knew perfectly well that she did not like to mention the accident.  
— Clark is capable of anything to achieve his goal. It will kill, scare or simply destroy you, only to achieve its sick plan.  
She finished her story with a heavy heart, although it was quite difficult for her, she felt to some extent easier when she could finally talk herself out and let herself take off a certain burden she had lived with for over a few years. She wanted to live now in the belief that she had not alienated them, did not expect sympathy, she wanted to be understood, she only asked. The behavior of the musicians, however, made her hope in people, they assured her that they would never abandon her, what she hoped most, and that they would do anything to face her former life, which was extremely encouraging. Then she knew that she had someone she could trust in the dark and those who would not deceive her.


	62. TOM 2 — TAKEN: 16 — PASSION ON THE OCEAN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you start reading, I would like to sincerely apologize for the lack of publication in the previous two weeks. Things are as follows: I was very busy, so I did not have any time, let alone the desire to translate the chapter. I decide to correct myself and don't be angry with me.
> 
> Well, I wish you a pleasant reading and I encourage you to share your opinions as I would like to read them.

She sat down at the edge of the pool, the warmth of the sun-warmed tiles made her shudder a little, but the pain was not so unpleasant that she would not sit on the light-textured earth home garden. She smoothed the edge of the scarf she had slung around the waist, hiding some of her favorite bathing suit underneath it. It may seem strange that despite the fast approaching pace of winter, she was sitting in a skimpy bikini, enjoying the glow of the golden ball. It was perfectly normal for such a hot city, although the temperature dropped a bit and the thermometers did not show many degrees in the shade, the weather allowed them to sit in the beautiful gardens decorated by the inhabitants, where they loved to relax in quite bold clothes.  
She eagerly used every possible opportunity to make her practically milky skin darker. Sometimes she would spend hours lying on a colorful mattress that floated in the pool, wanting to sunbathe a little. The shade of her fair complexion meant that spending a few moments outside did not give her such a satisfying effect than the relaxation she allowed herself to indulge in. She never wanted to use enhancers or artificial methods to get a little more color. She always focused on naturalness, which she was extremely pleased with.  
She gripped one of the toys of the two pet animals between her hand and they ran joyfully around her, chasing each other. She watched satisfied how both bitches got along perfectly, they spent so many months together that she could not imagine the moments when she would be forced to take Junka with her to live in her new home. The Maltese man had been used to the presence of other pets from the beginning, she thought that she would have a hard time adapting to new circumstances when she would be forced to leave her alone for a few hours in closed rooms, but she hadn't thought about it yet. First she needed to find an apartment that would satisfy her and would be able to maintain, it would not be easy, but she made a decision. She did not intend to hide that the funds collected during her opening had opened many doors for her, thus she would not have to choose the cheapest studio apartment, but think about something bigger. Perhaps she was acting like a materialist at the moment, but why not take advantage of such a tremendous opportunity as she had been given. She sold her two works for a considerable amount of money that she did not even expect. She was novice painters, yet so inexperienced that she would exhibit her works for such enormous sums, so she was delighted with the amount she was credited with. She must have been lighting up for an apartment, but she had absolutely no head for it.  
She sighed softly, tossing the plastic ball upwards, so that absentmindedly she did not have time to catch it, and the dog toy landed on the surface of crystalline water. She shuddered slightly when she heard the joyful barking of a little bitch who jumped with delight into the depths of the pool. She watched with a slight smile as her animal friend was moving her paws, thirsting, catching the bouncy ball moving away to the other side of her mouth. Overjoyed, she grabbed a rubber toy to her mouth. Pleased with herself, she swam to her legs, sticking her head towards her as if encouraging her to repeat the act. Junka and her older friend loved to retrieve what she learned surprisingly quickly for an almost one-year-old pet. She took her favorite toy out of her teeth, swung it, throwing it away.  
— Drink?  
She looked up at her brother crouching beside her. She surveyed him with her eyes. The temperature, towering over the thermometers, encouraged people to take off unnecessary clothes and would only stay in skimpy bathing suits or short shorts. Chester was no exception. Dressed in plain blue shorts, he dumped the shirt he had worn before in the living room, letting himself show off his colorful tattoos. Although the image of a dragon had been resting on her body for several weeks, no one had had a chance to see it, and she felt no need to tell anyone about it yet. She did not even dare to tell her heart partner about it, who still had no idea that his girlfriend had decided to display colorful graphics on her body.  
She grasped a tall glass with her fingertips, filled with aromatic iced coffee, which was a salvation in the warm, almost tropical air that had been hovering over the city of angels for many days. She still saw people trying to keep their wardrobe to a minimum, although the California city was famous for its weather and people hated it when the weather broke, she heard grunts of discontent as she walked down one of the city streets. But she was used to it. For as long as she could remember, she had lived in cities that were famous for their hot temperatures, and it made no difference to her. From the moment she left Arizona, she loved to lie down on a blanket or a deckchair with a sketchbook in her hand, letting the skin take on a slightly darker shade.  
— Thank you.  
She took a sip of the frozen drink. She put the glass aside, being careful that the Maltese playing in the pool did not knock it off. Anika chose a nap in the cool walls of the apartment, took advantage of the absence of her owners, lying on the soft sofa, falling into a deep sleep.  
— Anything interesting? — The teenager asked, glancing stealthily at the elderly Bennington, who was going through the pile of envelopes he had brought.  
A murmur of soft dissatisfaction was a clear sign that she had nothing to care about. She reached for the coffee from the delicate platform as the sound of a delicate melody spread throughout the apartment. She looked at her brother, who fixed her with a surprised look.  
They weren't expecting guests today, much less uninvited visits. Yes, Mike often stopped by without warning, and now that they could afford more freedom, he did it more often. However, when she spoke to him this morning, he mentioned that he had business to do in the city and that he was not sure when they could meet. So the last person she could expect was her boyfriend.  
The corner of her mouth lifted slightly at the mere thought. Despite the fact that they had been dating for some time, it still seemed like a beautiful dream from which summer the moment was to wake up, returning to the sad reality, but the subsequent days when she could meet him confirmed her belief that fear was becoming a stranger to her, despite the silence on the part of her ex-partner, she was happy and truly in love. Two feelings she denied so much, which she wanted to destroy without letting this strange temptation overwhelm her.  
She popped her legs out from under the surface of the water, taking in the rays of the shining sun with a soft groan. It was too good for her. She dried her feet gently, sliding them into the black flip-flops that were torn in the distance.  
— I'll go open it — she said, but her brother ignored her, concentrated on reading one of the letters.  
She got to her feet, straightening the handkerchief she had slung over her hips. She climbed the two—step platform to the warm deck planks. Only then did she notice that her sunglasses were still clenched in her hand. She put them on the table top. She crossed the threshold of the living room, noting Anika who jumped off the couch. She ran up to her clearly pleased, an hour nap allowed her to relax and rest. She scratched it gently behind the ears, which she loved, encouraging her to follow her. As she crossed the living room, she muttered something of unusual impatience under her breath. The Golden Retriver trampled at her feet as she walked down the cool corridor.  
She stood by the dark mahogany door, turned the key in the lock, pressed on the handle. A smile full of joy ran across her face as she noticed a pleased Shinoda standing in the aisle. She raised an eyebrow slightly as the strange gleam in his dark gaze didn't escape her attention. It took her a moment to realize that she was standing only in her usual dark swimsuit. A rude thought flashed through her mind, which she quickly suppressed. Though their relationship had been going on for over five months, she had recently caught up to some unflattering thoughts, but on the other hand, it shouldn't have surprised her. She pushed these thoughts aside, and after a moment from the depths of her lethargy a man's voice broke her:  
— Beautiful, I've been standing here for five minutes, why not invite me — he joked.  
She laughed softly as she stepped aside to let him in.  
— The sense of humor is excellent as always — she replied, still slightly amused.  
At least you have no reason to be bored.  
— I would never accuse you of this.  
She felt his hands tighten slowly around her waist. She wasn't going to, she didn't even try to resist. She was always thirsty for his closeness, she loved to sink in his embrace, the only thing that she dreams of is forgetting about the world around her, plunging into the land of her own fantasies or passionate tenderness. She kissed him lightly on the cheek, a muttered mumble of displeasure between his slightly parted lips. She looked up to meet his longing brown gaze. However, she did not bother to break free from his firm but tender embrace. She laughed softly as she ran her fingertips down his chin, turning his face toward her. The past few weeks had revealed his weakness, which had touched her enormously, but made her unable to resist the urge not to pull it over to her side. However, today she could not be indifferent to it. She hadn't seen him in two days, except for phone calls or video visits, she was homesick but never meant to complain. It wasn't in her nature.  
Captivated by the moment of intimacy, she was unable to stop his further actions, and to be honest, she didn't even want it as she could dissolve in the delight of his tender kiss. He had learned the secret of her own heart, and now they needed nothing but the realization that they would wake up without the bitterness that would overwhelm their bodies. She with the thought that all she can endure right now is her ex-partner's play and knowing how much she has ruined her life because of him. He lived in a marriage full of constant lies and the face of a woman who was selling the charms of her body, behind his back, for poor gifts. They were to spend the rest of their lives together, they made a promise that, ironically fate from the very beginning, was just a word for his ex-wife. They found in themselves what they lacked, through the years of loneliness and reproach. However, fate no longer allowed them to live alone in their feelings, giving them an unprecedented chance to love themselves with their faults and virtues. A delighted murmur broke through her pursed lips. With a little difficulty she found his hand, her fingers tightened on his wrist so she could clasp her hands together.  
— I understand why it took you so long to open the door.  
Unaware of older Bennington's presence, she succumbed to this delightful moment of oblivion, not realizing that she was not alone in the apartment. She stifled a grunt of discontent within herself. Disgusted, she slowly pushed away from Michael's arms, trying to hide a groan of frustration. She did not like when the musician came at the most unexpected moment, especially at times like now. She valued her privacy. It can be said that this should not be surprising, she was with a successful relationship, with a man she loved, she had the right to show affection even in the company of friends. But sometimes she felt a bit tense around friends or her brother when she allowed herself to be forgotten. However, no one made her feel it, but the trauma of her youth made her prefer not to show her feelings like that. She lowered her hands with a soft sigh, turned over her shoulder, a slight scowl on her face. She looked up at the singer standing in the aisle. He was leaning nonchalantly against the bright wall, his lips twisted into the faint smile so characteristic of him that sometimes infuriated her when the next moment her brother had a brilliant idea that did not end well for her.  
— You can always show up when you least expect it — she replied, amused.  
The meaning of her words didn't make him feel offended. He knew her well enough to sense when she was joking, but she could be serious and gently insist that she wanted to be left alone. He didn't feel the tension in her tone of voice, which only reassured him that her intentions were sincere this time and she wasn't going to chase him away, but Michael's gaze said something else entirely. He wanted to remain alone with the girl, but he did not want to be mean. Chester, subconsciously understood his intentions, shouted back softly, then announced:  
— I'll leave you alone.  
They watched him slip away from them, disappearing behind a nearby wall, the sound of his voice echoing across the enormous walls of the living room as he summoned the bitch peeking at Shinoda's feet. The dog, almost in a hurry, ran after his master, hoping to have fun together, leaving two people in love standing alone in the corridor of the apartment.  
He wasn't going to waste this opportunity, he longed for much more affection or caresses each time. He loved to see how it pleased her, but it would not escape his notice that over time she wanted something new, a completely different experience than usual kisses or the desire to cuddle up to him. However, she still did not have the courage to take a step forward that would push their relationship to other areas of their relationship. However, he was not surprised, despite the fact that desires tugged at her still inexperienced heart, she remained in a blockade. A kind of closure that she wanted to get rid of with all her strength. The stigma of the past she struggled with did not allow her to open up that much, but her firmness and willingness to break down any barriers that held her were impressive. It is not common to meet people who, experienced by fate, closed in on themselves, there came a time when they were ready to break with what torments them and, like Julia, wanted to experience new things, break the stereotype of society or people with similar experiences like this young artist.  
She felt more and more frustrated, could no longer bear the signals her own body sent out, could not, bear the thoughts of how she reacted to his significant closeness, the rattling thoughts in her mind and the visions that haunted her into the dark night. Dreams became dreams that she did not intend to fight, she had no reason to take up this battle, for others it might seem strange that despite her young age and quite unpleasant sexual experiences, she wanted more and more those moments of intimacy with this man. She felt the effects of her own unflattering thoughts more and more painfully, in which she more than once caught herself reflecting on the events from a few weeks ago, when passion overwhelmed their bodies, but her thoughts raced on, even begged her for more, and she felt more and more like her body wants to know a different taste of love. She was exhausted by the fact that she had to hold back, that she did not give herself a chance, but before that she was too scared she did not even want to hear about it, but the weeks she spent with him, when she did not even feel the pressure, made this anxiety disappear, and she trusted more and more. People looking to the side may think that she should not feel safe with him, childhood trauma would accompany her every time she was even forced to kiss him. She could laugh vividly at that person in the face for the calumnies they create about her. If she put it in retrospect, Mike was the person she trusted first, not even her brother she could give such respect at first. Maybe it's strange, but she was like that. She had no cause for disappointment, never gave her reasons to do so. The misunderstanding from weeks ago was remembered when they both said that arguing about a triviality was childish behavior, they did not act like mature people, but got carried away. It was natural that she longed for more intimacy in the dark abyss of the night, wrapped in a subtle fragrance of passion and desire. The moments she shared with him after the opening of her works were not enough for her, but then there was a kind of anxiety in her or she could even go as far as to fear, but now everything is gone, there was only a desire to experience.  
She purred almost with delight as the sudden chill of one of the bright walls enveloped her exposed back. She did not understand at first why she had come into contact with the wall nearby so severely, but she did not intend to elaborate on it, she understood its meaning as she again attacked her nostrils with that intense scent, the scent of male perfumes that were so familiar to her. Could she be indifferent, have a heart of stone when he let her know the sweetness of their kiss again, she loved it about him, every tender caress they gave her was a pleasure she couldn't forget, there was something about her that made her feel in other words, the specific towers she loved. They kissed as if tomorrow would never happen, as if they were their last moments together, the thick scent of love almost overwhelming them that wafted around them. But was it that important? It didn't matter, and they knew it perfectly well.  
He ran his fingertips slowly down his bare neck, she could feel the chill of his body that almost made her shudder. She narrowed her eyelids slightly, she almost felt the cold that suddenly seized him, which was really surprising, considering the rather high temperatures outside. She moved reluctantly away from his emotionally heated lips, tilting her head slightly, looking at him sideways.  
— Honey, you don't want to tell me you're cold — she said aggressively, strands of her dark curls falling to her slightly tanned shoulder.  
— And if I tell you so. Are you going to change it?  
Word games have become their everyday life, which has not escaped anyone's attention. They had never played this little game before, which they were playing outside of the prying eyes of her friends, then she tried to suppress the kind of anxiety that sometimes accompanied her, but it faded away. He moved away from day to day, allowing him to be bolder among his close friends. Despite her fear, she'd decided to be herself and wasn't going to give in to some damn embrace or else her life would always be the same when she lived with eternal guilt, and that wasn't the point. Even her therapist repeatedly told her to get rid of [doubts that she considered not reasonable and to live as before, which helped her immensely.  
She bit her lip gently, how could you love and hate so at the same time, she didn't understand it when she didn't know how to deal with his constant temptations. He was able to effectively arouse in her a number of emotions that she did not suspect himself of. After a while, she is tempted to pretend to be an innocent victim who was incapable of anything, and then fawned at her like a kitten, which the only thing he dreamed about was a little attention from his owners, he was different, he humbled almost immediately when her body there was a sudden scream of frustration. Her annoyance was at its peak, and he could only happily watch her lips swell from the constant hurt she was doing, and he would love to kiss her swollen lips, which seemed even sweeter to him than before.  
She growled in annoyance as she realized that he wanted to drive her crazy again, but she had to be tough, but could she even be with him? She must have stopped paying attention to it a long time ago when she had no strength to put forward further arguments against. He had worked it out, and now he was using it effectively when he wanted to achieve his own goal. To be honest, she loved his spiciness, the licks were something completely new that she had never experienced before. She loved that thrill of excitement, that characteristic scent of passionate piquancy.  
— Stop it — she said firmly, but her hand suddenly trembled.  
She complained that she hadn't been able to take it off his shoulder, and he sensed her little lie. He took her tearing fingers slightly, slowly slipping from his shoulder, his touch so subtle that it was practically imperceptible, as if a feather had been placed in her hand and she was told to feel anything. She saw a smile wandering on his lips, a delicate joy that he tried to hide, but she was too oversensitive about that to ignore it. She knew its specifics, it was often accompanied by this flash when a plan was born in his head. A subtle conquest of her heart.  
She squealed suddenly scared as she lost her footing, but before she could express her protest, she was silenced into a rather lusty reward. He knew how she didn't like being carried in his arms, but he still did when she least expected it.  
— Honey, be nice and don't scream — he muttered directly into her ear — You don't want to bring us any trouble.  
He climbed the steps of the apartment as if her weight was not a problem for him. She saw perfectly what problems he was talking about, or rather whom he mentioned, but she liked to tease him, which he knew very well.  
— You'll stop threatening me, Michael, because you'll see what a pissed-off girl scream means — she furiously hugged him, but had no reason to — Only then do I understand what a snag in your licks means.  
She couldn't even think as he stood on the threshold of her room, still listening to her urgent protests to put her to the ground, but he seemed deaf to her grunts of displeasure, his mouth now almost furious, encouraging him even more, which unfortunately it made her fall into a losing position, but she was not fully aware of it. She will have the opportunity to find out soon enough. The door slammed shut behind them, only then did she understand what was on her beloved's head, realized her own thoughtlessness, but whether she should feel guilty if it was only a subtle evidence of the passion smoldering in them.  
She fell onto the soft satin fabric, rose slightly, feeling the paralyzing chill of the dark sheets, and suddenly a soft sound of terror came out of her throat as she saw the man towering over her with that familiar gleam in his eye.  
— Don't even think about It — she warned him — I'm not going to be humble with your goddamn play.  
It was her statement that she might be feeling scared or disgusted, but it had nothing to do with it, she was getting more and more excited, but kept a reasonable mind. They knew they couldn't go too far in the presence of the master of the house, but they didn't really intend to do so.  
— Puzzling — he replied, and she tilted her head slightly, looking at him surprised — Because in your eyes I see something completely different.  
The groan of annoyance that seized her echoed through the bright walls of her asylum. She narrowed her eyes angrily at her partner, who was still wandering that annoying smile on his lips. She hated him for this strange joy, he could effectively upset her, and he was well aware of it. She grasped the edge of his T-shirt, tightened her fingers on his bright material, gripped his lips with great passion in her hot lips, engulfed by the intense depth of his eyes, she tasted every moment. Maybe she would act like a selfish person now, or she might be really in love, but she had no intention of ending their relationship, she could go so far as to say that none would win his heart. For the first time since she had known the meaning of love, she understood its enormity, what it carried and what it dictated. To think that her former partners were the ones she had to spend the rest of her life with was a wash away from how she felt being by his side. Finally she found her private paradise on earth. Eden in the form of this man.  
She laughed softly, feeling his hands wander as if accidentally over her sensitive waist, a place that felt so tender to her touch. One simple gesture could make her laugh with joy. She tried to fight it more than once, especially when she was with him, but could not. Today, however, she was not going to give up. She tried to pull away, but he was too firm as he tightened his hands on her sides, not even letting her move. She wasn't going to have fun like that! This time she would not let him win, he always knew how to enslave her in his embrace, the desire to terminate and dominate for a while, gave him a chance to gather enough strength. She loosened the grip on his T-shirt to grasp his shoulders. She sat up slightly on the soft cushions, only then did he see what his girlfriend was up to, he wanted to stop her, but his reaction failed him, and she took advantage of it. She rose on her hands, which gave her an advantage. She didn't even have to use her strength to force him to lie on his back, and she sat smugly on her face as she gingerly sat on his hips, the wandering smile of triumph being a clear sign to him. As a signpost, he would not underestimate her.  
— Who is towering over who? — She laughed, folding her hands over her chest.  
Despite the rather skimpy outfit, she did not feel confused, he had seen her in similar clothes more than once, so she did not intend to act like other girls, whose first reactions were a sudden squeak and running to the bathroom, why would she feel scandalized sitting in her underwear by a man who could admire her shapes in quite bold clothes more than once. However, she was not a person who took pleasure in displaying the values of the female body, rather avoided it like fire, if she allowed herself it only in the privacy of the house, when she could wear an ordinary bathing suit, it was enough for her. She looked rather unfavorably at the women who posed with pleasure in front of the camera, the photographers sometimes get rid of scruples and decide to shoot without a bra. When such a newspaper accidentally got into her hands the first thing she did, she threw it in the garbage. You should know your worth, she believed that girls who earn even this money do not have some morale. However, that was her opinion and she was not going to change it.  
She broke away from the depths of her thoughts, then she noticed the intense gaze of her boyfriend. For a moment she felt as if he wanted to get rid of the clothes that protected her from being completely naked. She laughed softly, which knocked him off the melancholy into which he fell. He looked up, smiling mouth that he had popped in and she figured out what he was thinking so intensely about.  
In an instant the offer he had made to her flew out of his head, but he quickly remembered it again. He forced her to lie down, which she gladly took advantage of, allowing herself to cuddle up to him.  
— Julia?  
She glared at him as if she was displeased that he was talking to her by her full name, but then she lifted herself gently on one elbow so she could meet his eyes.  
— What happened?  
— No — he laughed softly — I have suggestions — he announced.  
She looked at him curiously, she was very interested in what he had to say, but she did not intend to interrupt him, listening intently to his further words.  
— I'm taking you out of town all weekend tomorrow.  
She did not hide, this proposal surprised her. She was speechless, not knowing what to say. It wasn't that she wasn't happy or terrified of spending three long days in solitary confinement, but rather the fact that she was paying. He hadn't told her before that he was planning, she would have been more prepared then, and now she had no idea how to react to it.  
— Why are you telling me about this now? You could have said this beforehand, I would have prepared myself somehow.  
— Because I know you should not agree because of financial matters — he said, as if he had a good sense of what she wanted to say - Julia, you don't have any conversation, you pack up in the evening, and in the morning I come for you, even your protests will not help.  
She was in a lost position and she knew it perfectly well. He put it against the wall, giving it no choice. She just sighed, clung to him again. She hid with difficulty that she liked this vision, away from home, from friends or her brother. A weekend spent alone. She did not know yet that then she would experience one of the unforgettable nights of her life.


	63. TOM 2 — TAKEN: 17 — PFEIFFER BEACH — PART 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter is divided into several parts.

She adjusted the slightly slanted shoulder strap of her dark leather bag as it moved slowly over the soft sheets. She set it back on the mattress, reaching for the last folded blouse. She hid it in the depths of a dark backpack, careful not to make a bigger mess. She stared at the packed purse with a heavy heart, and doubts haunted her mind as to whether it was a reasonable consent to this trip. The euphoria and emotions subsided somewhat, allowing her to think rationally as to whether she was right to agree to this trip. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the idea of spending the whole weekend with her lover, but she was still haunted by his unexpected plea. He didn't even allow himself to contradict her, which irritated her greatly. She hated having someone make decisions for her, not minding what she thought about it, but if she had to think about it, Michael was right. Had he informed her about the departure, she would have found plenty of arguments for her objection, and mostly she was based on funds. She hated being financially dependent on someone, even the vision of someone paying for her did not satisfy her. She had already learned as a child to respect money, she was then aware that the change they received in the orphanage was not enough for them, so she was rational about spending her pool. Even buying a stupid notebook in which she could draw was a problem for her. She had to consider a lot of pros and cons, finally grabbing blank sheets of paper stapled into a colored cardboard or waiting for another month. Although her passion was very demanding and consuming many art materials, the professor became a great help for her at that time, from whom she began to support the teachings. The woman was one of the few people who liked her and saw in her the potential to be a great painter, she helped her many times by donating her unused pencils or a block with many sheets of paper that were in her closet. Her standard of living has improved slightly since she moved to live with her brother, but it did not make her feel better when she realized that she was not earning money for herself and that she was not adding anything to her household budget, although he did not reproach her for it, he even told her many times she didn't think about it, she couldn't take it and decided to sell her works on the internet and to have a vernissage, which turned out to be her little success. She was so grateful to Michael that he managed to get her to organize this event, which resulted in a huge amount of money being deposited into her account.  
She sat down on the edge of the enormous bed, staring impassively at the electronic clock that intimidated it that it would be seven in a few minutes. She was supposed to change her mind now, resign from this trip, and at the same time make the musician bitter. She was confused and didn't know what to do. Should I indulge in the first emotion of joy and get carried away by the moment and forget about the troubles that are depressing her, or take the receiver and ask her to postpone this relaxation time for another day? She couldn't even think about it when her phone alert sounded. She grabbed a white electronic device on the gray sheets. The indicator light flashed green to indicate a newly arrived message. She unlocked the screen with one click, noticing the chat bubble, one conversation she had that early morning was just her boyfriend. She traced the contents of the electronic note with her pale eyes, sighing softly as she rose from the soft coverlet. It was no longer possible to cancel the trip when he announced that he was waiting for her outside the house. She zipped up her bag, grabbed the black strap to slung it over her shoulder. She found her clutch bag, where she kept the most necessary things, such as a wallet or an ID card, she took it from the dresser. She opened the door discreetly, not wanting to make any more noise, not wanting to wake up those who were still resting. She was aware that Chester has recently shared the duties of a singer with recording material for the newest part of Piła, so he was often absent practically for days. He was given an epizootic role, but she was not very interested in this production. The films that made the viewer shiver with terror were not her favorite adaptations, but rather avoided them like fire. However, Bennington himself could not reveal much or simply did not want it, wanting to surprise her again, which he was famous for. She had experienced a night entangled with scenes of murder, blood or fear once and did not want to experience it a second time. She had no regrets to Shinoda for his spontaneous decision and her inept attempts to get him to change genres, which he accepted with a laugh, it was the only time he did not repeat, considering her last night, did not end well for her.  
She stood on the landing in the living room, looking into her purse, where she had hidden a message for Elder Bennington telling him she was going away and asking him not to worry. She descended cautiously down the two steps, and walked slowly to the glass table, leaning the envelope against the bowl of fruit. She glanced briefly at the two quadrupeds spread out on the couch. She scratched both bitches after their soft hair, which did not even realize the presence of their owner. Junka, led by her small caresses, only fell over on her back, still dreaming. She laughed slightly at the picture. She loved this little crumble and was not indifferent to her.  
She turned over her shoulder, looking down from the pets. Crossing the corridor, she stopped at the dresser from which she scooped up her set of keys. She put her hand to the doorknob, overcoming the resistance of the door, stepping out onto the sidewalk hidden behind the shadow of a huge villa. The sun had been above the city for several hours, but the chill of the autumn morning made her smile with joy. She slammed the door, dropping a bundle with a pendant of the iron lady into her purse. A pendant that was given to her by Marinette, one of the symbols of her hometown, and also her favorite places where she liked to hang out when she lived with her parents in Paris. She told her many stories about the city in love, where she left her best friend and circle of friends, but she did not lose contact with them, she kept in touch with them, entrusting herself to what was happening in her life, but they were also not left out. Acquaintance at a distance would not seem to survive, but it was against that rule. She herself could refer to her situation, where two friends left for college, and she would have the opportunity to meet them only in December, because they decided to return to their families for Christmas. They couldn't imagine Christmas far from home.  
She looked up to see Michael in the driveway. He was leaning against the hood of a dark car, a cardboard cup in his hand. A soft smile crept on his lips when he saw his girlfriend. She was still not in good shape after a long night, and he wasn't surprised at all. Julia wasn't a morning mark, she loved to sleep late in the morning, and the vision of getting up earlier than ten in the morning made her despair. She would be irritable and hellishly dissatisfied then, or fall into a kind of melancholy, avoiding any conversation. The signs of lack of sleep, hidden under the delicate make-up, only confirmed his conviction that dragging his girlfriend out of bed at such an indecent early hour could lead to trouble for him, he would have lived in such a conviction if he had not spent many weeks with her, where he could get to know her a little more and noted that he was the only person she didn't know how to get mad at when she was forced to get up for school in the morning. He had heard many stories where Chester deliberately chose another way to break her off to school in a rather brutal way, screaming at him for a good half hour and then making him make coffee to somehow atone for his guilt.  
— Hey honey — she said sadly.  
Her voice, however, did not fill with enthusiasm or joy, it was moody, devoid of its natural color, which did not escape his notice. She had stolen a quick kiss from him, was not eager to receive any more effusive greetings, he didn't even demand it. Sam was somewhat guilty for having only slept two hours, but did he regret any of them that night? They would have laughed if they had not decided that the time spent only together does not bring them joy, the mere presence affected them in a rather specific way that only they understood.  
He slipped the cardboard filled with the aromatic drink into her hand, she didn't even notice it, but as her nostrils filled so well with the familiar scent of caffeine, her pale face took on color. It was nice to see her joy, even if it was a small thing, he loved to bestow it on her.  
— Better? — He asked, holding out his hand to her.  
— Yes — she replied more vigorously — You know how to make me happy. Thank you.  
She couldn't hide behind the mask of indifference, the delicate blushes that touched her cheeks. How could she be disgusted with such a lovely gift that only cheered her up. She took the strap of the bag off her shoulder, allowing Michael to pick it up. She watched as he passed the vehicle, opening its tailgate, keeping her luggage inside. She took a sip of the warm drink, hearing the gentle crack, she twitched slightly frightened as she felt the man's hands slowly sliding down her waist. He caught between his fingers her dark strands of hair tangled in a rather group of braid hair, transferring it to the other collarbone. The subtlety of his tiny kisses made her shudder pleasantly, and she tried to keep her face straight so that he would not see how pleasant it felt in her, but could she hide behind a mask with feelings that were so dear to her? She laughed charmingly as she turned gracefully in his arms. The cup of coffee that had been set aside earlier sat on the hood of the red convertible.  
She was thirsty for his lips, the subtle sweetness of passion, though only a few hours had passed since their meeting, she longed for that scent of rising spice that smoldered between their bodies. She ran her fingertips along his chin, moved even closer, covering the distance between them that now seemed unnecessary. Greedy and with a delicate scent of domination, she felt a desire in his lips, to know the sweetness of their little intimacy again. He was not indifferent to her or even remained in her debt, she never liked to stay, often she was in that losing position, in which she had to be guilty of a small crime of their love. But she had never been too much moved by it, she might even have said that she liked it, sometimes she wanted more. He got rid of her plans, however, which she began to weave, bringing her brutally to the ground. She could, just by watching him pull away from her, and she couldn't stop a grunt of discontent that passed through her mouth, she heard his soft laugh.  
— You really have to spoil every moment," she whined as he told her to get in the car.  
He opened a passenger seat for her, and she reluctantly got in, grabbing the then-abandoned caffeinated drink. The slam of the door closing on the driver's side made her even more unhappy. She hated it when he interrupted so suddenly, a sparkling passion leaving her in disgust for his recent deeds. Attempts to unlearn it came to nothing, because he liked to torture her like that, suddenly allowing his touch, leaving her with his heart beating strongly in her chest, her body almost pulsating with living fire, and over the last weeks it only intensified when she remembered the evening's events at the end of her exhibition of original works. Her face turned purple as soon as it brought to mind her heart warmed by emotions or the specific aroma of floating intimacy. She squeezed her thighs tightly as the stench of burning passion shook her body. Maintaining the semblance of her former personality, a teenage girl who cared nothing for sexual desire, was getting more and more difficult, especially by a man who ignited the dormant emotions within her. She was never an excellent actress, she could confidently say that she did not match the skills of the students of the theater school, she could describe her skills with one cruel word of drama. She didn't feel embarrassed, saying that she would never be fit to be someone who could stand on the glass screen, probably would laugh at the offer as soon as she received it. Yes, maybe he had tried for so many years to hide what was happening in her life, to hide the pain that was tearing her heart, but this was the culmination. She knew that she would not be able to surrender these skills to a more polished person with a workshop.  
What irritated her most, however, was that she was less and less able to cover up her desires. The mere thought that Michael might suspect something that would not escape his attention irritated her, and for many days he had been watching her carefully, as if he were looking for any change. His suspicious gaze haunted her dreams, and she couldn't shake her mind as he stared passionately at her. She glared at him furiously, every time she realized what he was up to, sometimes she felt that he didn't want to hide it, even the disgust on her lips discouraged him at all. Trying to ignore your body while trying to master Shinoda, who is full of guesses, was not an easy task. She still lacked him to actually fulfill his, and at the same time, her hidden erotic fantasies.  
She was still alive, blissfully unaware that she would not forget tonight.  
— I'll make it up to you tonight — she heard his low voice, which snapped her out of the melancholy she fell into, saw his rather indulgent gaze out of the corner of her eye.  
— Am I to understand that this is a suggestion? She asked suspiciously.  
Perhaps her question was a little reckless, even stupid, but she had been disappointed so many times that she did not want another disappointment. Maybe she was acting like some inexperienced teenager, departing from the maturity she had acquired over the years. But she couldn't help but feel the contradiction suddenly engulfing her mind. She had to control herself because it was unlike her. She gained her wisdom, going through many difficult and happy days in her life in spite of such a young age, she did not want to waste it. She recalled a conversation she had heard about her ears, she remembered that day perfectly. She persuaded Mike after a long day at work to go for a walk with her. It wasn't difficult to persuade him to do anything, so she wasn't surprised when he pulled her out of the house without a word. She loved him like that, even when, tired after a long day, he always found time to meet her, and if that didn't happen, they had long phone calls. They hid in a not very busy part of the park, sitting on a slightly squeaky bench. An elderly woman was sitting in a nearby chair in the company of her husband, as soon as she saw them, she spared no unflattering words. The visible age difference between her and Michael was evident, although if she tried to add years to make more permanent and rather stronger makeup, she would still be a girl who is not even twenty. But if she did, she would have left him long ago, claiming that she couldn't bear the critical words. However, she was spared so many years of profanity or insults that she did not even care about the words of this woman, who was clearly offended by the fact that such a young girl meets an adult man. She was aware of this that as soon as she got involved with him, there could be many comments about their relationship. However, the heart is not a servant. If she were honest, she did not see her peers as a worthy partner, perhaps because she had been dating boys much older than herself for as long as she could remember. The differences that divided them may not have been as big as Mike's, but she stopped paying attention to it. Hearing the exchange of opinions of that marriage, she laughed out loud as soon as they were within their reach, not sparing the tart comments that directly said that their relationship was not relevant, because she was still an inexperienced girl to match her boyfriend's intelligence. Mocking these words, the only amusement was the musician, who did not even try to stop her from her monologues and the jokes she made. Probably, if they heard her, they would stick to her, claiming that she has no respect for the elders, but it was another lie. She has always appreciated people much older than she is.  
However, before she lost herself in her thoughts again, Shinoda brutally brought her to reality for which she was grateful to him and wandered too long in her thoughts, not paying attention to the conversation with her beloved.  
— Will you reveal at least a part of what you are hiding? — She asked.  
She took a sip of the still warm substance, savoring its taste. Perhaps she was addicted to caffeine. She couldn't imagine a single day without at least one small cup of coffee. She tried many times to limit this drink, but failed, according to Brad, that it was too strong an Afrosidiac to give up. She was with him and her brother the greatest gourmets. She loved trying new genres in a sensible way.  
— Patience has never been one of your good qualities, honey.  
— Yes, but I hate surprises. You didn't even tell me where we were going and I had no idea how to pack, she whined, settling back in her chair.  
— I told you to take your bathing suit — he reminded her— It hasn't led you to the fact that we're going to quite warm regions.  
— As if California wasn't too ho — she murmured, rolling her eyes — Tell me! — She urged.  
He just laughed, staring at her out of the corner of his eye. She reminded him of the seventeen-year-old girl he had taken to her first concert, she was also impatient as now, but before that, under the mask of joy there was uncertainty, though he tried not to feel the awkward silence or tense atmosphere he could not change her attitude. They had known each other for only a few weeks to trust each other completely, now he was looking at the nineteen-year-old. A young and quite ambitious girl who was no longer an eternally scared child and a mature and resourceful young woman, which she was slowly becoming.  
— We won't even leave the county boundaries, but we have a long journey ahead — he said, seeing her unhappy expression, he added, "You won't be disappointed."  
— Mike is anyway, he doesn't cheer me up! — irritated. He sighed softly, forgetting how Julia can be annoying in the morning, especially when she is quite brutally torn from the arms of the king of dreams. He knew her weakness for laziness, he knew exactly what he signed up for when he asked her to be his girlfriend. He was aware of its advantages and disadvantages. She had weaknesses like everyone else, one of which was lying in bed for a long time, he was used to hearing her displeasure when he called her sometimes, even when they were not together. She tried to limit herself, which she did sometimes, but there were days when she walked a bit bitter in the first hour of the morning, even her favorite drink did not manage to cheer her up, but from the moment they started dating, he found a way for her not to be too much. grumpy, she only had to congratulate him that he had been able to arouse her enthusiasm for the coming day.  
— Honey, you never tell me anything, I'll start to suspect you have some secrets from me.  
— I have no secrets from you. Maybe except that I love you.  
She laughed softly at his last words and replied:  
— I probably wouldn't put it in this category, because I know exactly how you feel about me.  
— I will suspect you are not romantic in a moment — he said with a slightly displeased expression.  
— Be careful, or I'll be afraid, my dear. You know I love you, she gave him a gentle smile Sometimes I wonder how would you pick me up if I were such a stereotypical girl in a relationship demanding eternal attention, giving her boyfriend nothing in return, still wanting more romance. The very thought scares me that I could sit over some stupid aromatic comedies covered with a ton of handkerchiefs and crying to the TV after the one he has not kissed.  
He couldn't help but smile on his lips as he listened to her speech. He was glad that her good mood had returned, because he would not have been convinced if she had endured the five-hour journey. It's true Julia was not one of the typical young women who had bonded with their partners not long ago, but rather was their opposite, which could not be hidden. But if he was honest, he loved her that way, it was a nice change from the women he dated after Taylor broke up. But he clearly wanted such a change, and Julia was the ideal of the one he wanted to be associated with. Sometimes he felt as if she was still more of a friend to him than a girl, only to bring him down brutally the next moment when his thoughts were too distant from her.  
— Just don't blame me on the Titanic, because I swear if I love you I'll hate you.  
— You fell asleep in the middle of the movie! I got the feeling you prefer me to the romantic story of a first—class girl and a poor cartoonist.  
— I don't remember anything like that — she huffed, folding her hands over her chest — Stop me with such insinuations. It sounded like you suspected me that I already felt something for you then.  
— Should I prove it to you? — He asked suddenly, getting serious.  
He stopped the vehicle, then looking at a fairly large number of cars that were standing in front of his vehicle. He was not surprised that the freeway was jammed again, he would have been surprised if it had not been so on such a busy morning. The line of cars stretched for at least two kilometers, which meant a long stop.  
— How? — She asked defiantly.  
She watched closely, following his every move as he pulled a white smartphone out of one of the pockets of her leather jacket. He unlocked it, making sure in advance that the line was still standing. Entering the galleries, he searched the folders in it until he found the one that was most interesting to him. He kept the tapes of him and the young Bennington in it, but she knew about the videos as well as he had a copy of some of them. He chose one of them, from the day when the girl tricked him into watching James Cameron's production. Maybe he had made the recording without her knowing it, but he was convinced that she wouldn't be particularly angry with him. He fired up the video, handing the phone in her hands.  
— You'll believe me now — he said firmly.  
He caught her chin between his fingers, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. However, he could no longer focus on it as the drivers finally pulled away, allowing them to continue on their way. He couldn't help but glance at her focused face. She stared at the frame from the dimly lit living room, heard the music from the movie adaptation playing in the background, but the camera's eye was focused on the blissfully sleeping teenager. She dreamed calmly on the musician's shoulder, but his slight movement made her fall down on the comfortable pillows on his thighs and she didn't even think to get up, at the same moment the recording ended.  
— Was I really sleeping on you then? — She asked in amazement, pressing the button of the electronic device lock - Why didn't you wake me up !? — she added reproachfully.  
— I was not particularly uncomfortable. At the same time, I was able to observe you a little.  
She just nodded, knew her boyfriend meant nothing indecent. She was glad that he was not as unambiguous as his classmates, who did not hide their bed fantasies with her in the lead role. More than once she complained to her friend that she heard their nasty exchanges again, which made her even more scandalous. But although Michael wasn't so pushy, he could sense the situation just like a few days ago after her exhibition of works. She felt her cheeks burning unexpectedly, and red drenched her slightly tanned face. If she was looking at it now and remembering one of their conversations on the beach, she began to understand why she was so interested in him. Even then, something was continuous to him, but she could not define it herself.  
— Honey, you're too cute when you blush — he said in a slightly ingratiating tone.  
— Stop embarrassing me, I don't like it! You are also looking at me with such lustful eyes that... — She paused her monologue, not having the courage to finish her thoughts.  
As if that wasn't enough for her, she felt a wave of heat pour over her. She tried to cool down, but it was too hard in his presence, especially when his gaze stared at her, he seemed adamant, as if he knew exactly what was going on in her head.  
— Go on — he encouraged her.  
— No way! I won't tell you about… Anyway, she waved her hand at him, and he knew perfectly well that she had come up with her rude thoughts.  
— Honey, even you can have your fantasies, and it shouldn't be a cause for shame.  
Julia, despite her bad experiences, did not like to mention it, it was the last resort for her to relate to it. She repeatedly said that she prefers to live by a maxim, to forget about yesterday, live for the present, but there were memories that were too heavy for her. She had the impression that the experiences of the orphanage were at times nothing to her compared to what her ex-boyfriend had done to her. She experienced it more than the nightmare with her guardians. They asked for nothing more than she asked. They left it to her to deal with it in sessions, from which the therapists helped her a lot.  
— I'm not going to tell you what I'd rather do with you than sit in that car and drive into the unknown — she insisted.  
He smiled a half-mouth as he watched his beloved understand the meaning of the words she was saying. The red that had wrapped her cheeks not so long ago grew more intense. He heard her soft curse, which amused him immeasurably. Waiting for tonight became a priority for him, and at the same time, not wanting to arouse her suspicion, he knew it would be difficult, but he was going to do everything so that she would not forget that one night.  
— I really didn't say that — she panicked suddenly — I don't think I said I'd rather see you without your clothes on.  
She was completely ashamed of her behavior. The shame on her pale face grew even stronger. In one moment she wanted to go underground, she tried so hard to hide it from herself, and now the stream of her words left her slightly tearing mouth. She hid her flushed face in her hands, repeating the stupidity from time to time. He couldn't watch her get even more embarrassed in an instant, she still missed it to make her think she had compromised herself in front of him. He focused, looking at a nearby pull over to a nearby gas station and so was forced to make a stop. He parked the vehicle in one of the vacant parking spaces that had long served as places for truck drivers who'd driven up from their trip to a nearby bar to eat. Unbuckling his seat belts, he turned to face her if the small space allowed him. He carefully removed her hands from the slightly pale eyelids, cupping her face, gently stroking her slightly cold cheek.  
— Julia, will you tell me why are you panicking?  
The question he asked her seemed so natural that she could hardly take her eyes off him. What made her even more dumbstruck was that there wasn't even any subtext in it, but she knew it would only be a moment until it came to that. But what could she say? Why does she want to withdraw her words, the desire that has been smoldering from her for several days, supposedly an adult, should not deny it like an inexperienced teenager. However, the fire burning inside her clearly did not want her to feel calmer, on the contrary, he wanted to make her even worse. She sighed softly, studying him intently.  
— I was embarrassed by the fact that I was too direct — she murmured in confusion.  
— Remember what I told you once? When you asked me to come to you on the beach when your friend suggested you a date?  
— Yes, it was a completely different situation. I talked about it freely, because I didn't think that… — She suddenly stopped, not knowing exactly what she meant.  
— Whenever you love me.  
— Yes — she admitted a bit embarrassed.  
— Isn't that what you meant from the beginning? — He asked. From the very beginning, you wanted an honest and straightforward relationship. You liked to talk when you didn't like something, you got mad at me many times when something wasn't going your way. You've always been brutally honest, and now that you're alone with me, you're afraid to tell me that you want more from our relationship. You shouldn't be embarrassed that you've finally admitted that you want to have sex with me. You confessed what you had been struggling with for several days.  
— How do you know about this? — She asked surprised.  
— Julia, I'm not stupid. I can look. You think I didn't know how my girlfriend has been undressing me with her eyes for a few days — she felt much better when she saw the wandering smile on his lips.  
— I must practice discretion — she suddenly said — Or look more closely.  
He didn't say a word, he allowed himself one last taste of those raspberry lips, one conversation was enough to make her understand that there was no reason to hide her desires, perhaps and her initial behavior was a bit unwise, but his words drove all doubts out of her.  
— Honey, always be yourself, if he wants to say something! I still miss you feeling like a relationship with this motherfucker.  
— Don't even mention him! - She became serious — I was blinded in that female boxer. Unlike him, with you I understood what mutual love meant. I love you and all I ask is that you be the same man I met that afternoon in July.  
— I promised you that I will always respect you, you have no reason to disappoint.  
The pleasant silence that rose between them didn't last long as she was brought to the ground quite violently by her lover. He fired up the engine as he drove to one of the refueling spots. She unbuckled the leather seat belt as she got out of the car, despite the short distance, she preferred to walk a bit, was aware that there were a few hours ahead of them, so she preferred to spend those few minutes outside. She leaned against the hood of the car, staring at one of the signs that advertised a nearby three-way restaurant that stood just outside the station. She had to admit that she was hungry just for the word on the blackboard. An unpleasant contraction spread in her stomach, but she tried to hide it.  
— Mike, how about having breakfast together? — She asked as she watched one of the gasoline dispensers hang up.  
— I'll pay for the fuel and move the car and join you— he hadn't escaped her earlier look at a huge advertisement for a roadside bar.  
She stole a quick kiss from him by grabbing the purse on the seat, tossing it over her shoulder, letting it hang freely from her hip. She straightened the braid that fell casually over her shoulder, strengthening the dark widow's grip on her dark curls. She made her way through the slightly crowded refueling ramps, then climbed up the concrete steps to the paved entrance to the premises. She was about to open the glass wing when it swung open, revealing a bulky man in a vest typical for truck drivers. He smiled amiably at the sight of her, letting her pass first.  
— Such a beautiful lady deserves priority — he said, and, without waiting for her thanks, walked away towards the parking lot.  
She watched for a moment at the departing driver who showed a bit of culture. She met many men in her life, but some did not know the basics of exemplary conduct, and one of them was her ex-boyfriend. He had never even thought about having sophisticated taste to let a girl pass first, which irritated her immensely. Maybe she wasn't expecting much, but a little refinement was more than enough for him. When crossing the threshold of the premises, strong hits from the seventies and eighties of the previous century reached her. The smell of burgers and fried french fries hit her nostrils, but it wasn't the smells that made her nauseous. The décor of the small restaurant reminded her of the places in Arizona that resembled cowboys. She liked the decor, the old hats of horse riders hanging from the walls or the weapons that had not been used for a long time. Warm shades of brown added coziness to this austere interior.  
She looked intently like an older waitress, arguing with a gray-haired man who was already sucking on a second cup of coffee. Fragments of the ongoing conversation reached her through the little noise that prevailed in the place. She turned slowly, walking across the wood paneling, her gaze finding the table hidden in the corner. Covered in a red and white cloth, it only carried the restaurant's menu. She sat on the edge of the brown couch, sliding carefully inside, tossed away the small clutch bag that was now redundant. She looked carefully at the list of dishes bound with the transparent foil. She rested her hand on the edge of the wooden counter, staring at the breakfast list until one of them caught her eye. Putting the menu aside, a slightly elderly woman who, despite her age, was walking with a perky pace, wearing a navy blue apron and a fitted white dress, throwing a dark pen through her fingers, approached her, ignoring the aggression of one of the men.  
— What could I serve a young lady? — She chirped.  
— Chef's breakfast twice, please, and citrus water with ice, please — she said, folding the menu in half.  
Writing down the order of a young client, the artist does not miss the rather intrigued look of the owner of the premises. She had the impression that she belonged to a very curious person, she wanted to know everything, and listening to the stories of the drivers of huge trucks, she was even more satisfied with the desire to get out of this small restaurant, wanting to visit part of the country, but keeping an eye on the business was more important. The knocking sound of her shoes against the walls made Julia breathe a sigh of relief. She did not like people who were too nosy, indeed, maybe one of her friends who were absent from the state was one of the too energetic people who wanted to know more than they needed to know, but she trusted Selena immensely.  
She sighed softly, grasping the edge of the pale clutch bag, settling it on her lap. As she slid the clip out of the handle, she heard the doorbell announcing the new arrival of a potential customer, but she ignored it, focused on searching for her phone, missed Mike sitting beside her, smiling slightly, holding the newest model in his hands. smartphone with the bitten apple logo. He heard her soft murmur of displeasure, which made him even more pleased. She jerked her head up a bit scared, catching his amused gaze. Only now did she realize that she had just dropped the phone in the car jack when she was responding to one of the many messages from friends and acquaintances who had urged her to go to the club today. She refused without giving specific reasons, which was not enough for them, claiming that she was trying to sneak out, but when she told them she was out of town, they let her go and said that they would not give up her next game. Who would have thought that she would be so eager to attend any discos or house parties organized by her friends? She could be one of the types of people who avoided loud music, crowded pubs or alcoholic drinks, shunned it, but now she was more likely to deny a bunch of friends to a music festival every Friday or go out to have fun together. It was not like her, if she looked at herself a year ago, decided that she was crazy, being persuaded to go out, now more and more often she initiated any exits herself, despite the initial problems, when her friends went to college, they had more less time to go crazy in a club, now a few more people have joined their group of trusted people, so when they go out together now, quite a lot of them gather. Was she somehow particularly unhappy about that? She did not perceive it in that context. She felt that she should break free now while she was free, and her only concern was studying for next academic year and meeting her beloved. She wasn't sure what the future held for her. Will she be an ever-busy employee of some huge corporation, wanting to keep a house, or on the contrary, will she be a poor artist who only wants to get any money to make ends meet? Will fate allow her to be happy married women alongside the man of her life, did she not even know if her relationship would survive and was Michael really the one she was going to be with in the future? The vision she wanted to avoid was the prospect of living alone in a dingy apartment on the outskirts of town. She wanted to do whatever she wanted now and not worry about tomorrow.  
She was so deeply engrossed in her thoughts that the words of the man who accompanied her did not reach her. Only when she felt his hand tighten on her arm did he bring her down to the ground. She looked distractedly at the musician, who only sighed softly, putting her loss in her hand.  
— You've gone out — he said.  
— Sorry, I was thinking — she replied, tucking the electronic toy inside her clutch bag.  
— Will you at least say what you were thinking about so intensely?  
She hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether or not to really tell him about the hasty decision not to go to college, which she began to regret. Yes, she works under pressure and fear, but she shouldn't do it for the sake of her ex-partner. He mixed her up in her life more than once, but she never gave up her passions and interests, and then she was reckless. When she looked at it in retrospect, she made the stupidest mistake of her youthful life.  
— You still think I did the wrong thing when I quit my studies? — she asked.  
She still took his opinion very seriously, she remembered perfectly well his attempts to persuade her not to let go so quickly, despite the fact that he did not know the reasons for doing so, he tried to encourage her to obey her common sense despite problems and enroll in one of the universities . He even offered to help her if she couldn't handle the material, but she fell in love like a last coward, subjecting such a trivial feeling to fear.  
— You happen to forget something? — He asked.  
— I don't think my opinion will bring anything here, but I think you have acted a bit recklessly — he said, but when he felt her a bit confused gaze, he finished, I have the potential to complete art studies, but I can be understanding and when I look at the situation in which you find yourself with an objective eye, being aware of what made you make such a decision and no other, I think you would be able this cope. Working under time pressure does not work in many cases, but it does not work for you. Even in moments of collapse, you would be fine. I can see that you are not too thrilled with the steps you took and instead of going to college with your friends, you fell into a treacherous act of this motherfucker, but remember, he does not run your life, but you. The decisions you make shape your future, not his. I would be lying if I said it was just a hurt boy with a hurt ego because the girl he was dating had left him. I fear what would happen if I hadn't stopped him then.  
She knew well how the situation two months ago had gnawed at him, repeatedly told him to stop worrying about it, but he kept spitting in his face that he hadn't been able to stop him. She didn't even dare to make any fights with him, she was aware of what this jealous boy could lead to  
— Why do you ask about that? — unexpectedly change the question, for which she was grateful to him.  
He watched her intently, she bit her cheek nervously from the inside, had to go through a lot to see her eyes again. She gave up the future that was open to some asshole, instead of wading further into her dreams. However, she did not intend to become his victim again. Not this time! She won't let him!


End file.
